A New Adventure
by Drixxy
Summary: Welcome to the end of a New Beginning...
1. Aerrow

_This story is a revision of An Old Friend._

_Aerrow_

_Kai_

It's hard to explain the feeling of excitement. Was it an over-hyped version of fear? The curiosity that followed the unknown? A gut-wrenching feeling we called butterflies? What if it was pain? Or even sadness… A longing for someone we once loved, someone that left for months, even years at a time…

I knew from the very beginning, once it was all said and done, neither of us would be able to let go. I had been torn in too many different directions for too long and it had begun to wear me down. That night I was finally able to say goodbye threw us both into a downward spiral. I knew the team would never be the same again.

But the journey we took to get there was much more interesting.

There was to be a gathering in town; I was told it wasn't important and kids didn't need to bother themselves with "useless" politics. Useless being _my_ word, of course. I knew what was going on, thanks to a pair of ears and stealthy eavesdropping skills.

They said a group of Sky Knights were showing up. They were just a bunch of egotistical, autograph-signing people. I knew better than to step foot around them. The Rex Guardians, I assumed they were the ones showing up, had a way about them that manipulated others. It wasn't right… Heroes? More like show-offs…

How long I would have to stay lying in the field would depend on the length of their stay. My stomach screamed, calling out for the next meal. Critters that roamed the forest would make a great meal, and I'd even brought a weapon. But hunger didn't justify murder—they were alive and deserved to live out their term just as any other creature. However, if someone were to pass by and kill them, I wouldn't hesitate to test their pulse and light a fire if pronounced deceased…

My laugh carried through the breeze as thoughts of an off-chance meal. I closed my eyes and let the long grass lick at my sides in the wind.

"Seems kind of boring being out here…"

Startled, I opened my eyes. A strange, red-headed boy stood looming over me, a bright smiled crawling over his features as we made eye-contact. "It depends on your point of view."

Standing up straight, staring off past the horizon, the boy let out a sigh. "I'll pretend the grass is tickling you and ignore the prominent insanity."

Sitting up, I took in a head rush. "I resent that," I denied in a whisper. "It's only obvious insanity. I would know if it reached _prominent_ status."

He laughed quietly, taking a seat next to me.

"You don't live here, do you?" I asked, brushing my bangs out of my eyes, only to have them fall back with help from the breeze.

He shook his head. "I don't come here that often anymore. I'm a little busy in the skies." A sense of unwillingness filled the air. The boy was being vague… Was it to hide facts, or to protect himself?

"You're a bit young to travel…"

"You're a bit young to be sitting out here alone, don't you think?"

I smiled, turning my head away from him. "I'm not alone anymore. You're here."

As he picked up on an argument that could potentially travel in circles, he changed the subject. "My friends and I are here for a few supplies…," he muttered, propping himself up with his hands behind him, crossing his legs.

"Shouldn't you be helping them?" I turned my gaze towards the awfully cheery young man.

"They lost a bet," he winked. "So, I get to rest while they do all the work. Of course, next time I'll help out."

"Nice teamwork," I rolled my eyes.

With the sudden chance to make friends standing before me, I back-pedaled. Though I wasn't much of an introvert, he seemed a little too friendly for comfort. An ulterior motive seemed hidden behind his smile.

My intentions changed from friendly conversation to reserved and quiet.

As silence filled the air, he caught the uneasiness and awkward feeling I brought on. "Oh…," he sighed. "I guess… when you put it that way, it seems a little unfair."

I looked at him. I had yet to really insert my opinion about him leaving his friends to the work. Had he read my mind? He looked human… I doubt he could read my thoughts.

I watched as the sun silently reached toward the horizon, calling the end of the day along with it. "I bet they're wondering where you went, anyway."

"I've only been gone an hour," he shrugged. That meant he'd been running his grimy hands all over my home terra for fifty minutes before he settled himself down next to me. I shuddered with the thought.

"You should probably go home. I heard this place gets dangerous after dark."

I looked at him, my expression flat. "This is terra Atmosia. The only kind of action we get is the occasional visit from the egotistical Sky Knights."

Another awkward silence separated our words.

Standing up, the boy held a hand outward to help me up as well. "I should get going, then."

Reluctantly, I accepted his offer and rose to my feet with little effort, him taking on the bulk of my weight.

"We're staying here for a few nights to get some decent rest, so I guess I'll see you around. I'll take your advice and go help the other egotistical kids in my squadron."

I clenched my teeth, looking away. So he was the Sky Knight visiting?

Everything aside, the boy still found it in his heart to forgive me with a kind smile. "It was nice meeting you, Miss …."

"Kai," I squinted with the light from the setting sun, brushing my bangs from my eyes once more.

"Aerrow," he spoke quietly, smiling softly.


	2. Let Me Prove You Wrong

_Let Me Prove You Wrong_

_Kai_

Fear of stepping foot near the squadron had turned into fear of showing my face. I'd insulted the leader of the squadron… The boy defied all opinions I had about the Sky Knights. He was kind, charming, and, though reserve, quite friendly. He looked past my little slip-up, his opinion of me seemingly unchanged. Had he known I'd judged all squadrons on the actions of one prior to my accusation? Maybe he sensed I judged a book by his cover to begin with?

I shut the refrigerator door and turned to leave the kitchen, crashing into a familiar face.

"Dad!" I yelped, dropping my glass of juice.

His passive mood laughed at the mess of broken glass, stepping over it to engulf me in his arms. "Hey, kiddo. How are you holding up?"

"Great!" I giggled. "I finally finished that Skimmer you left for me! It's up and running now."

"Hm." He looked around. "I see the house is clean."

I looked at my feet. A job well done was never done well enough for him… With a sigh, I forced a smile. "Yeah! I know how OCD you are…"

"Thank God you kept it clean because we have a guest."

Glancing past Father, I couldn't see the aforementioned guest. I rocked on my feet to the other side, hoping to get a better view, but still nothing. "Oh, really?" I muttered. "I… should really get back to—"

"Aerrow, Kai; Kai, Aerrow," he held out a hand, ushering the 'guest' toward me from directly behind him.

My face flushed white as I heard the name. He did say _Aerrow_, right? My socks suddenly became aware of the spilled juice, and in an attempt to avoid the Sky Knight as he held out a hand for me to shake, I squatted down and began to profusely clean up the glass.

"I'm sorry, I… I really can't… This is terrible…"

Coming down to my level, Aerrow reached out for a piece of glass and began helping. "I don't blame you for being embarrassed," he whispered. "I know it's not formal attire, but pajamas are comfortable."

I groaned. He really thought I was worried about my appearance? Sure, I wasn't wearing anything suitable for company, my hair was still tangled from last night's sleep, and I looked a bit tired, but that's what he thought I was embarrassed about?

I sliced my finger open on a small piece of glass. Lifting the finger closer to my gaze, I saw the glass was still lodged in my skin.

Father chuckled, stepping around us into the kitchen. "Kai? What are you making for dinner tonight?"

After fussing over the injury for a moment, Aerrow reached out. "Hold still," he grumbled, grasping my hand. With precision, he grasped the piece of glass between his fingers and gently pulled it out. "I'd soak that in Epsom salt if I were you…"

I examined my finger and looked away from the boy, continuing to clean up the glass though my finger continued to bleed.

"So, you're not even going to talk to me? I am the guest," he said playfully.

I cradled the pile of glass in my hands and stood up quickly, rushing to the nearest trashcan—Aerrow not too far behind.

"No, I'm not. -- Oh, okay Kai. I understand. No big deal." With a sigh, he lifted the lid of the can and aided me in disposing of the glass. "At least say hi. I feel like the biggest asshole in the world right now."

"Is that because you ego won't allow you to be ignored, or you truly are nice and you feel like being ignored is the cause of doing something wrong?"

He smiled. "Hey, at least I got you to talk…"

I turned and rushed into the living room, propping up all the couch pillows.

"Look, I don't know what your problem is with me, but at least give me the chance to prove you wrong."

I removed the blanket I had used to keep warm the night before and hid it in a secret storage container in the ottoman. "I really don't think I should be parading around with a stranger."

"…Your father knows me, the town respects me, as much as they'd respect a kid, as the leader of the Storm Hawks… I'd hardly call myself a stranger."

"They may call you 'friend' but you're still a stranger to me."

"You have a point," he hummed.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" I growled.

"I'm fixing up this boy's sky ride, along with the rest of his team," Father grumbled, walking out of the kitchen with a large portion of what was supposed to be my dinner for the night. Upon seeing that, my heart instantly sank. Father's weekly visit home had become more of a chore than something I waited for.

"Thanks to Louis—your father," he corrected himself, "we won't have to worry about maintenance for a while."

With a laugh, my father added, "If the Condor wasn't docked so far out, I'd fix that up too. But if you guys need that fixed up, you'll have to come back to my shop."

Now that the boys were talking, I had a chance to escape. I ran to the bathroom and locked the door behind me. Sitting on the counter behind closed doors, I had no reason to hold back tears anymore. Silently crying, I mourned the loss of my mother. Though that was when I was much younger, if she was still alive, Father wouldn't be gone the entire week and I wouldn't be by myself, forced to care for everything alone.

_Knock, knock, knock. _"Kai…"

My gaze shot to the door and I immediately wiped the tears from my eyes, clearing my throat. " What? I'm busy."

The boy laughed quietly behind the door. "No, you're not. That wasn't an 'I gotta go' kind of run. Now why don't you come out so I can explain myself."

"Why should I?" I folded my arms across my chest.

"Because you have nothing to do today."

_Damn you, Father._ "… Aren't you busy collecting supplies for your next mission?"

"I'm free until our rides are fixed." That meant until they left. "Kai, just give me today to show you that you're wrong about me. I'm borrowing an old friend's Skimmer for today. I… I can show you around my favorite places."

"What good will that do?" I growled.

"It won't hurt to find out, will it?"

I closed my eyes. Pushing myself off the counter, I glanced in the mirror before opening the door. I hadn't been crying long enough for my face to grow red and puffy. I thanked God for that.

With a smile, the boy knew he'd worn me down enough to go, even if I didn't like the idea. "Come on. Are you hungry?" he asked, angling his arm at his side for me to take it. Rejecting his invitation, I walked onward.

"Not entirely."

"Great. I have the perfect place we can eat."


	3. Sky Ride

_Sky Ride_

_Kai_

"Get on."

"I told you, I'm not hungry."

His green eyes gazed at me, unfazed. "It doesn't matter if you're hungry or not anymore. I've decided on a better destination. Now, come on. Let's go."

Once I climbed on the old Skimmer Aerrow had borrowed in lieu of his own, he drove us away from the house.

With a snicker, Aerrow reminded me of something I'd neglected to remember. "You gotta hold on to me…"

Grumbling a few profanities under my breath, I clutched onto his torso, anxiously waiting for the ride to end.

A safe distance away from anyone that could possibly get hurt, Aerrow pulled up and released the wings, drawing in the wheels. Though the Skimmer rode nothing like the one I'd fixed up, it had its definite perks, and obvious drawbacks.

"Don't get too comfortable," he told me. "It won't be too long until we're there."

I sighed, relieved. "Yeah! As if I'm comfortable sitting like this," I pointed out the fact that my arms were reluctantly around him.

The wind hit us both pretty hard, making me thankful for changing into boots and jeans before we left that day. However, wearing a tank top didn't help in the least, and actually gave way to a scary thought.

_He's not… hitting on me, is he? _I shifted my eyes. _Better not be… I'll steal his jacket when he isn't looking to cover up whatever he may be looking at._

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that Aerrow was out of uniform. Didn't each squadron have their own uniform? Even if they did, this sure wasn't up to code… Off duty meant it didn't matter, I suppose.

Glancing over his shoulder for a moment, Aerrow furrowed his brow. "You're not cold, are you?" he asked coincidentally.

I shook my head. "No, I'm fine."

Smiling, Aerrow paused, thinking something over. "Hold still. Whatever you do, don't move."

Confused, I watched carefully to see what he was about to do. And he let go of the steering system.

"What are you doing?!" I asked frantically.

The boy laughed. He quickly pulled off his jacket and pulled his tee-shirt back down, handing it to me before we careened too far out of control. "You can't worry so much… I'd never let us crash."

Nothing but the sound of thundering wind filled our ears for the few moments it took me to put on the jacket.

"…Kai, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I know that probably didn't help your impression of me, either."

Looking downward for a moment, I responded quietly, "…It's okay…" Scared out of my mind, those were the only words I could pull from my inner workings.

Noting the fact that I was scared, Aerrow took special care to flying much more smoothly the rest of the ride there. My grip around him couldn't possibly grow tighter, and if it wasn't for fear of my life, it would be much the opposite. With my eyes tightly shut, I was unsure of the distance between where we were and our destination, but much to my surprise, it only took another minute before our wheels touched the ground and the wings retracted into the vehicle.

Once the vehicle came to a slow stop, Aerrow sat there for a moment in silence. "Kai… it's safe. Come on, you can let go now."

I opened my green eyes slowly, looking away from the Skimmer. Land… No, grass. "Home?" I questioned.

He shook his head as I cautiously pried myself off of him. The boy was quick to fix his clothing. "This is Tropica. Haven't you ever been off of Atmosia?"

I shook my head, stumbling off of the bike. "Terra Tropica? Like… paradise?"

He nodded.

"The most romantic place in Atmos?" I asked, a brow raised.

Aerrow laughed nervously. "Now, Kai, I meant nothing by it by coming here. Honest."

Suspicions of the boy having an ulterior motive grew with every second, but nonetheless, I was stuck here with him until he decided to leave. That is, unless I called the authorities.

My expression fell flat. _Right… The Storm Hawks govern this area…_

Aerrow climbed off the bike and began walking toward a break in the land, where grass became sand, and sand became water. Where the water came from no one entirely knew, and where it went between land's end and the clouds was another mystery entirely.

Quickly catching up to the Sky Knight, I watched his every movement, including the one where he reached around me and leeched his hand onto my shoulder, forcing me to walk directly next to him at his slow speed.

I cringed, looking away from him. "You know, you're really not helping your case, here."

In an instant, Aerrow removed his arm from me and placed his hand on his head, scratching at his scalp. "Uh… hehe… Sorry… "

Once our shoes began collapsing the sand, Aerrow removed his and ran ahead. "Race you to the shore!" he shouted, laughing.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine…" I slipped off my shoes, tore off his jacket, and grasped them in one hand, sprinting at full-speed toward the shore. I navigated through the palms and around the merchants' shacks planted firmly in the sand. Just barely avoiding a surfboard stack, hitting one that eventually caused a domino effect, I hop-skipped around and began running backward, shouting an apology to the store owner before turning back and sprinting once more.

I was careful not to step on others' belongings, as some had already set up camp for the day. By the time I was half-way down the beach, Aerrow had already reached the finish line and began a victory dance.

Out of breath, I dropped my shoes and his jacket onto the sand and rested my hands on my knees, leaning over to calm down.

"It wasn't that far of a run, was it?"

I flicked my head upward in an attempt to move my bangs from my eyes and glare at him.

"All right, all right, fine. I still won. So, what's my prize?" He asked, stretching his arms out above his head.

A wave flooded over our feet, soaking my shoes. Lucky for Aerrow, the jacket was leather and all it needed was a good shaking-off to get dry. My shoes, however, were another story.

"Shoot… I'm sorry," he apologized, picking up my shoes and his jacket.

"I never agreed to having stakes on the game, so no prize."

He laughed quietly. "Figures. Come on, let's go sit down somewhere."

Aerrow led me off toward a cleared area, one centered around a fire pit.

Planting myself in the sand, I dug my feet in as deep as they would go and hugged my knees to my chest. "How long do you plan to keep me here?"

"Sunset sound good? Or should we go elsewhere later?"

The thought of having to cling to him on another flight displeased me much more than being stuck with him in the tropics until sunset. "This is fine."

"At least sound happy… I'm trying to be hospitable and show you a good time to change your mind. The least you could do is act like you enjoy it.

I let go of my knees and laid back in the sand behind me.

"…Fine. Sit tight, I'm going to go buy us some sun screen so we don't fry."

I closed my eyes, reaching over to cover my face with his jacket. I didn't understand why it was so important to him to change my opinion on Sky Knights. Sure, the Rex Guardians had their flaws which may have influenced my impression of all the other squadrons, but my mind had changed the second I learned his status as the Storm Hawk leader.

His persistence is what I have a problem with now. There's a fine line between persistent and obsessive, and the ice he's standing on is cracking beneath him into straight-up obsession.

Maybe it's his ego that has him out trying to prove that people like me don't exist? Does changing my opinion help him feel better, or can he not believe that I could think such things?

If it's not ego… what is it?

I now know it's wrong to judge them all over one squadron, but he's not giving me much to base an opinion off of.

Maybe he's right… I should just enjoy the trip for the time being and take in everything afterward. It's not right of me to take such little information and form such a strong opinion over it. After all, he's only human, and the Rex Guardians are in a squadron all their own.

Who am I to blame the Storm Hawks for the Rex Guardians' wrongdoings?


	4. Change of Heart

_Change of Heart_

_Aerrow_

I watched her quietly from the distance of the store, waiting for the clerk to return with my sunscreen.

What was it that made her different? I sighed. I had done nothing wrong but act nice and hospitable and yet she still resented me. I thought our conversation yesterday would've changed her mind, even in the few moments she knew about my position as a Sky Knight.

"Something bothering you, Mate?" the clerk asked, handing me the product.

I cocked my head to the side, watching her drape my jacket over her head. "Yeah… I just met this girl yesterday and I can't do anything to change her mind."

"…What do you mean?"

"She has a firm argument against Sky Knights and I can't prove that I'm any different."

"Ah. You're on of 'em Sky Knights then, eh?"

I nodded. "I've been nothing but nice and she still hates my guts. I'm only going to be in town for a few days…"

"So you're saying if you don't change her mind before you leave, it's gonna bother you the entire time you're gone?" he laughed. "Sounds a bit selfish to me. Why don't you try just being a friend? See where that gets you. Don't do it because you have to, do it to give the girl a friend. She doesn't look like she gets out much."

"Hmm…" That's one thing I never grasped from her. Of course, I hadn't seen the friendly side of her for more than ten minutes, which seemed a bit socially awkward to begin with. Maybe she didn't have any friends? Maybe she didn't get out much…

I shouldn't force her to change her mind, then. "Thanks, man." I tossed the sunscreen in the air, catching it before walking back to Kai.

Squatting down beside her, I jammed the sunscreen into the sand, letting it prop itself up. "I change my mind… I don't care if you hate me, or any other Sky Knight for that matter. I much rather try to be friends than force an opinion you're strongly against onto you. Even if we can't be friends, it can't hurt to give it a try."

Kai sat up, dragging the jacket off of her face and brushing the sand out of her ponytail.

"So… What do you say?"

Looking down for a moment before catching my gaze, she laughed, almost in disbelief. "I'll make you a deal. Buy me a hotdog and we'll talk."

Bribe or not, anything to get on her good side sounded good to me. I nodded and ran off. Back in only a minute, I had Kai's requested snack in-hand.

Upon reaching out for it, her expression changed. "No mustard?"

I whined quietly.

"No, forget it, it's fine," she smiled. "I'm too hungry to care."

"You should've said something before we left your house. I would've let you eat…"

She nodded. "I know," she spoke, her words muffled by the bun. "But I was in too much of a tizzy from breaking the glass and trying to hide from you that I forgot I was hungry."

I understood the predicament, though I felt bad that she was avoiding me. My heart kept telling me I must've done something absolutely unforgivable to put someone in a bent-up mood like this. Though I knew I'd done nothing wrong, being treated like dirt didn't help.

"Is… is there any way we can forget… the fact that I'm a Sky Knight and start over?"

She looked at me for a moment. "Yeah… I really should apologize for the way I was acting. It was down-right wrong, and seeing as you had a change of heart as well, I suppose we can meet in the middle."

I knew no matter how many times she'd drilled it into her skull that it was wrong of her, her first impression will always haunt her 'new' opinion of me.

I nodded. "Truce?" And she agreed. I sat in silence, watching the waves lick the shoreline as Kai finished off her snack. With that, I had time to think.

I wasn't sure if Kai was an easy person to please or how quickly she would become bored after an activity… I knew I had to find something for us to do, however. I couldn't be forward—I wasn't trying to come on to the girl, I hardly knew her. I could sit for hours and rest with my feet in the sand just knowing this was a small break before it was back to work. However, Kai wasn't me, and assuming she didn't get out much, sitting and doing nothing probably wasn't high on her list of things to do.

To keep the silence from becoming awkward, I spoke up. "You're not, uh… bored, are you?"

She shook her head. "No, not really. It's not often I get to go past the Atmosia shops. I've never really had the chance to travel. With my father gone to work all week and only home for one night… You know how hard it is to be a kid." She looked at me for reassurance. "I was too young to fly most of my years alone. And only just recently I got a Skimmer, one Dad brought home that was going to be scrapped. He said it was either going to sit in the shed for the rest of eternity, or someone would fix it up and eventually get it to fly.

"I don't have my license… I've never flown a Skimmer, though I have driven one or two around town to help neighbors out with errands. The council wouldn't see me, anyway… Not without my father or an authority figure to authorize my application."

I smiled.

"What?" she asked, seeing my expression change.

"Nothing… nothing. Go on."

"That's… really it. I'm easily amused because I really haven't seen much. Everything away from home is new to me…"

"So you're fine with just sitting here?" When she nodded, I added on, "You wouldn't rather go surfing?"

That's when her eyes lit up. "Like… out there?" she pointed to the tide.

"Mhmm. I could rent us a couple boards."

She looked away, suddenly saddened. "I don't have my bathing suit with me…"

"Neither do I. I'll just buy us something. We have excess cash that we didn't use for supplies. It's fine, really."

Her smile grew slowly. "I can pitch in. I brought twenty with me."

I smiled. "Actually… I have a better idea," I told her, referring back to a prior idea of mine. "You'll need that twenty. Get your shoes, I'm taking you home."

Quickly standing up, shoes in hand, her heart seemed to sink. "What? Why?"

"I have a better idea."


	5. Application

_Application_

_Aerrow_

Though it had only been a year since I applied for a license to fly a Skimmer, I hardly remember the application process. Who verified my application? I was thirteen… Did they even allow thirteen-year-olds to apply? Kai's fourteen, right?

Maybe because I was in the Academy they allowed early applications. I was required to take flight training… I had to learn special tactics and tricks that ordinary commuters wouldn't even dream of. And being underage, my academic adviser must've verified my application. Though he was a teacher and had evidence that applied to an early application, Kai is old enough to apply… She just needs someone over the legal age to verify it. Or a Sky Knight with benefits.

Looking over my shoulder, Kai didn't seem as confident in my driving skills. After the partial scare during the flight to Tropica, I don't blame her for being scared. Though I knew full-well what I was doing, she still doesn't entirely know what I'm capable of.

Though, she'll soon find out exactly where my flying skills can get me, that didn't fix the current issue.

The application process, from what I recall, can take as little as four days, but as long as a year. Taking a strategic approach, we would apply as soon as we got into town. While we waited for a response from the council, I would see what Kai knew about Skimmers.

Kai knew the road rules. She drove around town, right? Then she must know. With most citizens on foot, the rules of the road were simple. And the only rules of flying in the sky were stay out of others' way and don't fly while intoxicated. The rest was simple common sense. Of course, if you were flying a ship such as the Condor, things were quite a bit different, but I doubted Kai would ever get her hands on a large ship that she'd have to navigate.

Once in town, Kai surprisingly decided to pick up a little conversation while we walked to a familiar official building. "You don't have a place to stay, do you?"

I hummed, thinking. The guys were staying back on the Condor, flying back each night when they finished the tasks at hand. Though I'd tried to help them, they insisted that they'd lost the bet. Bent out of shape about it, they still stuck to the bet and wouldn't let me lift a single item. I was grateful, but I still felt bad.

I shook my head. "Not entirely. Why?"

"Dad's leaving tomorrow morning. I could ask him if you could stay at our house until it's time for you to pack up."

I chewed on the inside of my cheek. "Kai, I don't think that's such a good idea…"

"Why not? I'd feel better if you did. It would be making up for how I acted earlier."

I shrugged. "If it's what you want to do, you can ask your father. I don't have a problem with flying back to the Condor…"

"_Their ship?_" she whispered quietly to herself. "Seems a little far out," she looked out toward the edge of the land, spying a ship docked in the distance.

"I don't mind."

I smiled as one of the guards stood upright, welcoming me to the Council's headquarters.

Raising a brow, Kai's gaze tracked the guard until he was too far behind us. "A little formal… where are we?"

I pulled open the door. "I have to talk to the Council for a bit. You don't mind, do you?"

She shook her head. "No, it's fine."

Navigating through the building, I found the appropriate room and stood in front of a tall podium. Kai wandered off, sifting through all of the artifacts hanging on the walls. "These are the city's documents, right?"

"Every last one. Even the one that says Atmosia has the right to exist."

Kai laughed, leaning back to read the ones much higher up. "God, I'm too short for this…"

"Come here, you'll feel even shorter." The podium next to me was taller than I was.

She smiled, rushing over to see for herself. "Wow, you're right… You know, I never noticed how much taller you were than me."

I laughed nervously. To double check that our time here wasn't a waste, I asked, "You _are_ fourteen, right?" Her height made me think twice, and signing an application for anyone younger than that would be disqualified on the spot.

She nodded. "Yeah, I get that a lot. My mother stopped growing when she was twelve and I got her genes" She shrugged, her eyes immediately turning to an elderly man that walked into the room. "Aerrow? What are you doing back so soon?"

"So soon?" Kai repeated, glancing at me.

"I came here to sign documents not too long ago," I reassured her. Though they weren't entirely official documents, they were still important. "Uh… I need an… application for Kai, here."

"Wait, why?" Kai asked.

The man grew suspicious of our reason for being here.

"Kai doesn't have her license and I thought it would be nice to start the application process while I'm in town."

"Isn't her father away for business?" he asked.

Kai, in a state of shock, lacked the ability to respond.

"He's in town for the day but won't be here to complete the process. I will be, however. Do you think I could verify her application?"

Raising his glasses to rest them gently on his nose, the man paused for a moment to think. "I don't think I've ever had anyone of your age stand in such a high position… Nor anyone your age with the power to verify any legal document." He knew very well that I had signed legal contracts before and been able to uphold them.

The constant mentioning of my age ticked me off.

"Though I doubt there will be any question in the legalities… You are in fact a Sky Knight and have the right to it. Why not!" He pulled out a few sheets of paper from the podium and handed them to me. "Have her fill them out."

I nodded. "Kai… Are you all right?" I asked, seeing she hadn't moved since the mention of applying for a license.

"Y-yeah… are you sure?"

I smiled. "Yes, now come on. We'll be back in a few minutes."

The old man nodded, taking his belongings and leaving the room.

I led Kai out to the front of the building, grabbing a pen on the way out. "Do you want to do it or shall I?"

She shoved the papers back in my direction. "You can… I'm still a little stunned."

I laughed. "All right. Uhh…" I filled out everything that I knew so far, pausing here and there to think back. "Last name?" I asked, slightly embarrassed.

Kai reached over, filling that one out for herself.

"Birthday…" I set my pen down on the line, waiting for her answer.

"April twelfth."

She was only seven months younger than myself. I wrote the year following my own birth down and went to the next question until the entire application was filled out. However, Kai neglected to respond when I'd asked about her mother. I assumed it was acceptable to leave the information blank, as it wasn't apparent that her mother lived with her, and stood up. "Let's head back inside."

Feeling slightly better, Kai seemed more alert.

"Sorry for the surprise… I thought it'd be nice."

She smiled. "It is… thank you so much. You have… you have no idea how much this means to me."

Letting the door close behind us, I dropped all thoughts of being repaid for my act of kindness. It was selfish to wish for anything when Kai was already trying her best to be nice.

After turning in her application and returning to her house, Kai went on a rabid hunt for her father.

"He's not home…," she spoke quietly, hiding herself on the couch.

I scratched at my scalp, unsure of what to say. "How about we leave then? Keep your mind off of it?"

She shrugged. "Where do you have in mind?"

"Terra Saharr. It's a little far but well worth it."

"Any reason specifically?"

I nodded. "It's basically a wasteland. It's clear and barely anyone goes there. And I think it's an appropriate place to get some training in. Bring… bring a weapon with you, just in case, though. You do have one, right?"

She nodded softly. "Yeah… it's in my room."

"We should pack supplies," I told her, searching for the kitchen.

Hearing her climb off the couch, Kai then rushed after me. "Why? How long are we going to be there?"

"Not long, but you can easily get dehydrated there. Better safe than sorry. You don't mind if we stop by the Condor for a few navigation supplies on the way there, do you?"

She shook her head. "You're the one driving."

With a smug smile, I responded. "Not entirely." I couldn't fly two Skimmers there on my own…

Having told her father not to fix my bike, I knew it was still in their garage, while her father must've taken the team's wherever he left to. Since mine had more safety features and stabilizers, I'd let her fly mine out just to get started. It has a better ability to regain stability on its own if control is lost. But once there, she'd fly hers. After all, learning to fly on someone else's Skimmer and then flying your own can be tough. Seeing as she's already going to have to do that, I don't want to make it any more difficult than it must be.

"The, uh… kitchen is this way, she pointed out, taking the lead.

Once we had a pack full of necessities, I had Kai show me to her Skimmer. That's when the real surprise reared its ugly head.

"Kai, that's not a Skimmer."

She looked at me, confused. "What do you mean?"

"That's not a Skimmer." It was, in fact, a Switchblade. Though it lacked the armor necessary for war, it carried just about all of the weapons and everything else I learned to fight against with the Dark Ace.

"I can't fly this," I stated plainly. I could fight against it, but there was no chance in hell I was going to fly it.

"What is it?" she asked, ignoring my last statement.

Dropping the supplies by the door, I walked over and leaned down to clear some of the dust from the insignia. My fears were confirmed. The plates on the wings bore the Cyclonian insignia. "It's a Cyclonian Switchblade. You said your father let you fix it up?"

She nodded, backing away from the bike.

"You didn't see the plates before?"

"I did… I never thought anything of it. I've… heard of the Cyclonians and the damage they've done… I just don't know how to identify them."

Had she not seen their insignia before? The Cyclonian Talons had invaded this place not too long ago… Where was she when that happened?

"Look, it's fine. You know more about this bike than myself. You fly it." Truth was, her bike was safer than mine stability-wise. Mine may match it in maneuverability, and with practice, stability, but on its own it held a higher safety rate, hence why Cyclonis allowed her boneheaded Talons to drive them even when they lacked experience.

"You know I can't fly this! I don't know how!"

"Oh, shush, yes you do. You have to know to be able to fix up a bike," I smiled. "To properly fix a bike you have to know its functions and how they're put into play."

She shrugged. "I guess…"

"Do you need help getting it out of here?"

She nodded. "It's bolted down back here, hold on." She grabbed a bulky power tool and squatted down, loudly removing bolts from the cement.

"So this is your workshop?" I asked, once the noise had died down.

She nodded, wiping her hair from her eyes before hanging the tool back up. "It used to be a gardening shed but dad would bring back old tools that weren't up to professional standard but still in working order and they collected here. After he brought this in," she nudged the bike, "it became a workshop."

"And you know a lot about sky rides… from your father?"

She shook her head. "Taught me shit. I had to learn it all on my own. He's gone all the time, when did he have the time to teach me anything more than how to open and close a door?"

I looked down at my feet, unsure of what to say to console her pent-up anger toward her father.

"I don't mean to bother you with my family issues… Let's get this thing out of here and head out."

I nodded, pulling the front wheel out of a stand and onto the cement. Once Kai had the backend free from its stand as well, we dragged it out onto the grass before we hit her driveway. "You can drive it now, right? Nothing you have to do first?"

She nodded.

"I'll meet you out front." I rushed around the house and opened the front door, making my way to the back door, opening the garage. I led my Skimmer onto the driveway and waited for Kai. She pulled her Switchblade around and stood by it.

"I have to return the skimmer I borrowed. I'll be back in a minute or two." Having left the other Skimmer in the garage as well, it was only another moment before I had that one out as well. She waved as I drove off, and I made sure I ran all the way back.

Kai was surprised it had only taken a minute and that I didn't get caught up in conversation. In any case, I was back, and we could leave now.

Unsure of how well she could handle her bike, I watched as she climbed on and started it up. "You ready?" she asked, smiling.

I nodded. "Head toward land's end!" I told her, starting up my own.

"What do I do then?" she asked, unsure.

"Don't think about it. Drive off the end and let your instincts take over!" I revved the engine, picked up my feet, and rode off ahead of her. Worried about if she could handle a bike she'd never driven before, I kept an eye on her as often as I could.

Though she kept steady, I could tell she was still worry about the takeoff. I was unsure as well when I'd first learned to fly. It may have been in a closed-off arena in the academy, but that didn't change facts that I was still scared of screwing up. She had a different circumstance that would almost instantly confirm death if she screwed up. Clouds that lead to possibly nowhere spelled out the rest of her eternity if the wings failed, or she didn't know how to release them.

But she fixed up that bike, she knew more about it than most people. I was sure she'd be fine.

Drawing ever closer to the edge, Kai slowly grew tense and her driving became more ridged than flowing. I sighed and confidently drove directly off the edge of Atmosia. My Skimmer instantly lost air, but I drew out the wings and was flying in a matter of seconds.

Kai, being a ways back, was still on the pavement when I was in the air. I kept an eye on her as she drove right off the edge. Frantic hands were already sitting on the lever before her wheels left solid ground.

I closed my eyes and smiled. She already had it figured out. She was going to be just fine.

I slowed down and let her catch up, glad to see she was flying.

"Do you think this is legal?" she asked, laughing nervously from the successful takeoff.

I shook my head. "Probably not! But you're with me, you have an excuse. Now, follow me! We'll stop at the Condor before we head to Saharr." Piper and Stork were probably back at the ship right now.

Apparently, Kai wasn't entirely sure how to sit idly in the air and ended up flipping over. Though that was the gist of what had happened, she was still pissed that I couldn't stop laughing. Folding her arms across her chest, she let her legs keep her on the bike. Her long ponytail dangled below her.

"Oh, shut up and help me turn over."

Once I was able to stifle the laughter, I showed her how. I turned my bike over and hung beside her. "The bike will follow your movements when flying. Use your body and flip it back over." While the blood began rushing to my head, I flipped my bike over and waited for her to as well. After a few tries, she had it down.

"I assume that's why you told me not to move when you let go of the controls," she smiled.

"Yeah… you move, the bike moves, and you're screwed if you don't have complete control."

Looking forward once more, Kai's eyes caught the Condor. "Okay."

I nodded and flew off ahead of her once more.


	6. Test Run

_Test Run_

_Kai_

My heart was still racing from the thought of flying, increasing each second from actually doing it. Aerrow knew. He knew I could do it, that much I could sense. But of course, doubt is the first thing that comes to mind if you've never flown yourself.

On the way to the Condor, my thoughts were more focused on who I would meet. Would the rest of the Storm Hawks be aboard? It would be interesting to meet them. The rest of them, from what I've heard, weren't Sky Knights themselves. Having Aerrow as their leader, a registered Sky Knight, allowed them to call themselves a squadron, or in this case, bring alive an old squadron.

As much as I had detested Sky Knights, being alone meant having a ton of free time. When I wasn't fixing up the Switchblade or helping out around town to keep the fridge stocked, I was at the library. I was able to educate myself on the local squadrons, Storm Hawks coming up the most. Unfortunately, none of them carried pictures. If it had, I would've prevented the small embarrassment yesterday and knew who Aerrow was on the spot.

Even still, there were few records of the new Storm Hawks, the bulk of them being on events that carried news of the older squadron.

Suddenly, Aerrow turned back. "Do you know how to land?"

My eyes widened. I was just as scared of landing as I had been of flying. Though fears of flying had almost escaped my system, landing was the task at hand. Was it the same as flying? In trying to keep steady while driving, I had to keep the bike upright. While flying, the same idea applied though a different process was applied. My entire body was a part of the Switchblade when flying, more so now than when driving. Any slight movement I made, the bike felt and responded.

Being allowed to move on the bike was a nice feeling, and not moving felt like I had a stick up my ass. Of course, that meant rolling in the skies was an easier trick (not that recovering from a roll was just as easy).

"Just… just follow my lead!" he shouted back, facing the Condor landing strip.

That meant I was supposed to do what he did… including timing. Once he was in position for the landing strip, Aerrow kept a steady lead. Turning back once more, I knew that was the signal to watch carefully.

He faced forward, waited for the perfect timing, grabbed a lever above the one that released the wings, and retracted the wheels. He let his hands move from the lever to the steering and gripped for impact, releasing the acceleration before entering the Condor. The rest was easy—it was just driving.

I held a breath and followed his timing as best as I could. Problem was, I couldn't find the lever he used. Of course! It was a Switchblade… _I know this! Uhh…Oh yeah. Left of the… There! _Only a moment too late, I retracted the wings and quickly lost altitude. Though it felt like I was freefalling, I assumed it was natural and waited to hit the landing strip.

When the wheels hit, it was hard to regain control, but I knew I was safe now. I let out my held breath and relaxed. I'd just safely flown a long distance and landed with a bit of effort. I skidded to a stop and cringed, hoping my tires didn't leave marks on what looked like a neurotically clean floor.

Aerrow, already off of his bike, smiled, proud of a job well done. I let out a heavy sigh and quickly stepped off and away from my bike. Still fearing for my life, I had to clear the shock out of my system.

"You all right?" he laughed, resting a hand on my shoulder.

I nodded slowly. "Yeahh… Sorry. It's kind of a shocking experience."

"You'll get used to it. I'm just surprised you actually pulled it off flawlessly."

"You thought I couldn't do it?!" I gasped.

"No, I knew you could do it. I just…" Laughing nervously, I rubbed my neck. "…I didn't think you could do it so well."

I sighed. "Forget it. I'm alive, that's all that matters." I smiled, stumbling onto him. For a moment, I closed my eyes and began to calm down, human contact bringing me back to reality. A moment later, Aerrow stood me back on my feet and I blinked, tearing myself away from that warm, happy… safe place.

Though it didn't last long, that contact helped. And it sparked an idea.

"…You wouldn't mind if I asked for… a hug, would you?" I asked shyly. Still in shock, and having that one moment of feeling safe, it was the only option I thought I had.

And Aerrow saw the difference immediately. Stepping forward, Aerrow wrapped his arms around me. When his hands hit my skin, he tensed up. "Why didn't you tell me you were freezing?"

"I was more worried about crashing."

He nodded, understanding the circumstance.

"Um… Who is this?" A feminine voice asked.

I tensed up. I quickly escaped his grasp and spotted a girl entering the room. I knew there was a girl in the squadron—only one—and being alone in a group of guys can make you feel a bit lonely. No doubt she was with one of the boys in the squadron, and by the tone of her voice…

"Look, I swear I—I didn't mean…" I continued to step backward until I hit my Switchblade.

That's when the girl noticed something off.

"Aerrow… You brought a Cyclonian here?!"

"What's going on?" a young man asked, stumbling into the room. Upon noticing me, an air of confidence surrounded him. Of course, he also noticed the insignia on the bike I was trying to stand back up.

And he reached for a weapon.

"What the hell is a Cyclonian doing in here?! Aerrow, why are you just standing there?!" Aiming what looked like a crossbow at me, he steadily walked forward, never taking his eyes off of me. "She's too pretty to be a Cyclonian…," he said, still cautious.

Piper leaned against the doorway. "And short." Obviously, a jealous girlfriend would point out flaws.

"For your information, I like being short!" I growled back.

"…Kai, this is Piper and Finn. Piper, Finn—Kai."

"Do you mind explaining why you trusted a Talon long enough to get her name?" Finn asked, still holding his aim firm.

"Put down the bow, Finn, she's not a talon. She lives on Atmosia."

"Then why does she own a Talon's Switchblade?" Piper asked confidently, pushing herself off the doorway and began walking toward us.

Finn dropped his aim. "I knew she was too cute to be a Cyclonian…" That's when Finn suddenly began investigating me for reasons other than safety. "So… Kai, eh? Nice name. I'm uh… Finn," He brushed back his hair before holding a hand out to introduce himself.

"Yeah… just Kai…" I kept reserved, hidden. I was still in a state of panic and introducing in new strangers to a situation almost made it worse.

Piper still didn't trust me, though it seemed like the origins of the distrust had switched from Talon to love interest.

And even if she wasn't his girlfriend, every move or sound she made only convicted her of love-struck that much more.

I smiled. "Aerrow and I were on our way to Terra Saharr but he said he needed supplies," I spoke up, ignoring the subtle hints Finn was imposing.

Piper and I, from square one, were opponents. Though I had no potential interest in Aerrow, I was seen as a threat. I closed my eyes. I never meant to make enemies…

Aerrow rested a hand on my shoulder. "I'll be back."

Afraid of what Piper would do to me while Aerrow had left, I clung to Finn. Being alone never gave me much of a chance to learn social interactions. Of course, free time meant more time to observe, and I was able to watch more than the average person. I learned to be observant. Less action and spoken word, more observation and learning.

Though I wasn't a quiet person, I watched everything closely and learned very quickly.

"Finn, eh?" I smiled, turning toward the blond. "I bet you don't get the chance to meet many girls… being on the ship, and all…" I reached my hand behind my back and twirled the end of my ponytail. Having long hair gave me that advantage. When down, it reached significantly past my waist. It had been quite some time since I'd measured it, but my father mentioned it was out of control, that no one should ever have their hair past their knees.

That was one of the only significant moments I remember. Father hated it that I let my hair grow, so I made sure it was never cut more than a quarter inch at a time. At one point, I gave up on getting it cut and now it's, apparently, past my knees.

I grasped a short end and twirled it, staring into his blue eyes. That was how you showed determination and interest, right?

He smiled and laughed confidently for a moment. "Well, there's Piper, but… she's more trouble than she's worth."

With the girl still standing in the room, this was technically like setting off a bomb, and I was in its immediate line of fire.

Aerrow only took a moment to return, and I quickly stepped away from Finn. Piper, by now, had lost all respect for me. She would've trusted me more if I was a Talon.

I sighed, bringing my hands to my face to hide. I chewed on the skin around my thumbnails, wanting this all to be over.

"I think… we have everything… What the hell happened here? You could cut the tension with a knife!"

Finn, still surprised that I'd shown such interest in him, was too caught up in thought to answer.

Piper stormed off.

"I'm… not sure?" I answered innocently. "Look, Aerrow, I have to talk to you. Can we get going?"

He nodded, inspecting the room for a moment. "Finn, take care of the rest of the chores today, all right?"

"Dude, do you even have to ask?" he retorted, glancing at me with a sly look. "You know I always do the work."

Laughing once in disbelief, Aerrow turned toward his Skimmer. "Ha! If you… say so…" He climbed on and started up his engine.

I slowly walked over to my bike, still hiding behind my hands, and climbed on my Switchblade.


	7. The Key

_The Key_

_Aerrow_

Atmosia had one of the most favorable climates. Low humidity, rain only where crops grew, perfect sunshine, never snow. Of course, the shock from going to living in an environment like that your entire life to heat that will slowly kill you is hard to take in.

I understood the situation, but it was hard to think about without laughing. Seriously, imagine Kai complaining all day about the heat!

…Okay, maybe it's more trouble for me than it is for her… Either way, she'll forget the heat and enjoy the training before long.

"Don't worry about your landing this time!" I told her. "It's sand, it's soft. Avoid a rock and do what you think is best."

With a smile, Kai seemed more confident now. The forced test run, with death staring her in the face, kicked her off to a great start. I had little doubt she would do it—if I were training someone completely inexperienced with sky rides, I wouldn't have let her anywhere near flying.

Of course, that wasn't Kai. Kai's father had an immense knowledge of both sky rides and ships alike. His job forced that upon him. Without much contact with Kai, he lacked the ability to share most of it with her. Instead, he handed her a Switchblade and said "_Learn or don't._"

Kai's always been forced into learning things. She's never had a gentle nudge. Upon realizing this, I almost regret forcing her to fly. Sometimes all you need is that gentle nudge and positive praise along the way for a successful outcome.

Either way, she was off to a great start and I wasn't going to go back and change things now.

However, teaching meant this was my time to show off, something I rarely had time to do. Though I didn't favor showing off, it was always nice when I knew I had someone who was intent on watching and learning to see the possibilities.

I turned and flew around, watching how Kai landed. She still seemed uneasy about the process, but she knew the outcome well. Excited about another successful landing, rather than shock, she quickly scrambled off the bike, in turn falling into the sand, and laughing proudly. Lying there, she exclaimed, "Yes! Ha ha! I did it!"

With a smile, I decided to do something daring. I hadn't practiced it much and it was still even dangerous for me—and more of a show move than anything useful. I quickly cut the engine and retracted the wings, flipping the skimmer head-over-heels in mid-air as it began falling. The wheels hit the ground, and with my feet quickly on the sand to keep steady, I landed. Proud of myself, I smiled, thanking God that I didn't break a leg.

Kai, still lying back in the sand, had missed most of the trick. I wasn't entirely showing off—this day is about training, right? That was training.

I swear!

"You know… this is nice. There's a good breeze out here, the sun keeps it warm… Do we have to be flying? Can't we just enjoy this?"

I climbed off of my Skimmer and headed toward her, seating myself in the sand next to the ditch she'd made for herself in the shade of her Switchblade.

"…We could have a race…," I suggested, digging a hand into the surprisingly cool sand below.

"What do I get if I win?" she asked.

I remembered our last race on Tropica earlier. I asked what I had won and she said she didn't agree to stakes. Assuming she remembered as well, she wanted to make this interesting and I agreed.

Hmm… "How about… winner gets to keep whatever's in Radarr's compartment." The poor guy will kill me, but a bet is a bet and it's already on the table.

"Radarr?"

"Our mission specialist. We usually team up on a mission; he sits here," I pointed out the secondary cockpit. "He keeps little things in a compartment under my seat," I smiled. "Winner gets to keep whatever's in there."

"Shouldn't you ask him first?"

I shook my head. "He takes his favorite things with him and leaves what he thinks is junk behind, leaving me to clean it out."

Hearing the word 'thinks,' knowing not everything left behind could be junk, she agreed. After all, it was more expedition than for stakes anyway. Insignificant stakes just made it a little more fun.

She nodded. "All right, fine. Let's go. First one to…. that," she pointed to a mountain-like horizon a good five miles away, "wins."

I nodded, standing up. I held out a hand and helped her to her feet as well.

I studied her Switchblade for a moment to assess and estimate an outcome. Her Switchblade lacked the heavy armor that the Dark Ace's carried. His was battle-ready and outperformed my Skimmer in every category except maneuverability. Without that armor that Kai had likely removed, her sky ride out performed mine in every category… except fuel economy. Assuming she didn't fix that up as well, she may run out of fuel before the race is over. Having only driven it once, she's relying on whatever the previous owner filled it up with… or at least, whatever's left.

I stepped over and opened the fuel tank. Before looking inside, Kai gripped my wrist and pulled it away. "What are you doing?"

"Just give me a second."

"No! You could be compromising my bike!"

I held up my hands. "All right, watch my hands." I then leaned over and looked into the tank. Not seeing a single crystal, I reached inside. Kai tried to stop me, but I pulled out a crystal before she had the chance. The Fuel crystal was void of almost all its color—and energy.

"You're lucky you haven't died today," I sighed, mentally kicking myself now for letting her fly any sort of distance. If that crystal had run out of energy in the air, she'd be flying through endless clouds without reassurance of an end. That's almost worse than death alone…

"Confession time. Your ride has the _worst_ fuel intake. If this crystal ran out, you'd be dead."

Kai laughed. "You think I didn't know this? With a bit of rewiring I fixed that problem. Cyclonians are the most wasteful beings on this planet…," she sighed, shaking her head. "Now, are we going to race or not?"

"At least let me get you a new Fuel crystal so you don't crash." I turned around, reaching into my own fuel tank. Three crystals, all in almost perfect condition. I dropped it into her tank and shut the lid, walking back over to my Skimmer. "Okay, go set a starting line." I tossed the old crystal in the air, watching it turn to dust in the breeze. It's last ounce of energy was used keeping the particles together, and in a sad, final farewell, it scattered itself among the grains of sand.

Running a few feet out, she used her foot to draw a less than straight line. I smiled. "Hurry up!" I leaned over and tied the supplies down in anticipation of the unexpected while Kai set her bike back a few feet from the line, matching my own distance.

"It's unfair if either of us call the mark." Reaching into a holster on her hip, Kai pulled out a gun.

My eyes widened. "…What are you doing?"

With precise aim, Kai shot at a tall rock pillar, creating a large, unstable rock on top of a thinner pillar. "When that rock falls, we go."

Still a bit uneasy until the crystal gun was concealed once more, I nodded. We both sat there, watching the rock ahead of us with baited breath.

Three…

Two…

One.

And that called it. Simultaneously, we both shot off. The race spanned over five minutes, with little effort to keep our bikes going any slower than a mile a minute. Nowhere near either of our top speeds, I kicked it up a notch.

Of course, the outcome was obvious. Her Switchblade reined over my Skimmer in this race, so long as it lacked its armor. Though it wouldn't last much longer than a minute in battle, this was no battle.

When we hit the base of the mountain, it came time to congratulate the winner.

And I was no poor sport.

Stumbling from her bike, she hit the soft sand, not bothering to move. "Hand it over, pretty boy!"

I jumped from my bike and pried off the seat, tossing it into the sand. After moving a few things around, I found Radarr's box. Upon opening it, I found nothing short of puzzling.

A key. A single brass key.

"I didn't lie," I spoke quietly. Examining the key before handing it off to the orange-haired girl, I found it to belong to something on the Condor. Whatever it opened was a mystery, but it was something that Radarr treasured to some degree. Why he left it in my Skimmer was more of a mystery than the key itself.

"…But this is what was in the box." I held the key between my thumb and index finger about a foot from the girl's face. "You can have it, I suppose. But," I pulled back the key just as she reached for it.

"You have to promise to find what it belongs to."

With a smile, she snatched the key from my hand. "It's Radarr's key, God only knows what it belongs to."

"Guess I'll have to stick around so you can find out then, eh?"

With a disapproving look, Kai hid the key in her pocket. "You're not trying to hit on me, are you?"

Shrugging, I told her the next thing that popped into my head. "Only if you look at it that way."

Kai raised her arm over her head and shielded the sun from her eyes. "You said we're here for training? I… I've already proven I can fly this beast… and driving is no issue. Can… we just hang out for today?"

"My plan was to keep you out of the house and, though my original intentions had changed, if that'll make you happy, then sure."

She smiled.

Taking a seat next to her in the sand once more, I let a calming silence fill the air, something I assumed Kai needed.

And Kai's incriminating words filled the air minutes later. With a laugh, she spoke.

"I still beat your ass."


	8. One Long Night

_One Long Night_

_Kai_

I don't know if I was more worried about Aerrow staying over or being alone in a house with a young man… without my father around.

I could handle myself, sure. That wasn't the issue. It was the fact that a teenage boy with hormones was in the living room and my room lacked a locking door.

I sat in my pajama shorts and tank top, my lap draped in blankets, staring at my door as it sat there, cracked open.

No audible sounds could be heard from the living room, as expected. I had been awake for several hours since Aerrow and I said goodnight and laid down. Having tossed and turned in worry for the first hour, sitting on the bathroom counter for the next hour, I hid myself partially under the covers and waited up to see if anything interesting happened.

Ten minutes passed with no activity. Now, boredom began to set in alongside worry. I yawned quietly, standing up. I cringed as my bedsprings squeaked. "Please don't wake up…"

Tip-toeing to the kitchen, this required passing the couch. Seeing the table lamp was still on, I assumed he liked a night light. I sighed, leaning to the side to catch a glimpse of his bright red hair.

I scrambled to the couch when more evidence of his disappearance showed up. Aerrow wasn't here. Maybe he was in the kitchen? The bathroom wasn't an option as I had been in there myself and the light wasn't on. Rushing into the kitchen, the boy wasn't there either.

Nor was his Skimmer in the garage.

Unsure of why I was so frantic to find him when he could come and go as he pleased, I sat down on the couch to catch my breath.

That's when I heard a slight thump, followed by a few quietly spoken profanities.

My gaze shot toward the back door. "My garden!" I stumbled off of the couch and grabbed an energy blade on the way to the back door, threw it open, and leaped onto the intruder. "Don't think you can wreck my hard-earned fruit! I spent hundreds of hours on making this tree produce perfect plums!" I held the blade to his neck and charged up the crystal.

"Kai! Kai, damn it, it's me!" Aerrow gripped my knees tightly and prevented me from jumping off. "It's me…"

Removing the weapon from his neck, I used the glow to see his face. "Aerrow? What are you doing out here?"

Letting me down to the ground, he turned around. "I… I can't sleep. So I came outside and saw your garden."

"You didn't wreck anything, did you?" I asked, brushing the hair from my eyes.

He shook his head. "No… Look, Kai, I have to talk to you." Pausing, he changed his mind. "No, I have to sleep." Obviously forcing his eyes from my appearance, Aerrow pushed his way past me and walked back into the house. Following him cautiously, I asked if anything was wrong.

"I'm exhausted… I've been in the skies for six months without seeing land for more than a day. I'm stuck on a ship with four people and a… a creature that I don't entirely know what he is. I can't escape from them!" He sat down in a huff, his hands vigorously running through his hair. "I have only a few days to escape… and I can't even sleep. This is just life's way of repaying me for everything I've done…"

"Insomnia?" I asked, walking over to the couch. I contemplated sitting next to him, though I was unsure if that was appropriate.

He shook his head. "Stress…"

"When are you guys leaving?"

Rolling his head in his hands, he looked over toward me, his eyes glassy. "In the morning…"

How long had they been here? Yesterday, today, and then tomorrow morning? I thought he said he'd be here longer…

He sighed. "I just need sleep. Do you have any sedatives?"

I nodded. "I'm… sorry for making you stay here. I'm sure you would've gotten better sleep elsewhere."

He shook his head. "Last night, I had Radarr sleeping on my face and Finn snoring in the room next to me. This is heaven."

_I can't imagine the kind of sleep he gets there if he can't get sleep in a peaceful environment…_ "I'll get you some sleeping pills. Look, if the couch is uncomfortable, you can take my dad's bed, or even mine. I don't mind sleeping elsewhere."

"No, no… this is fine."

I hurried to find him some sleeping aids and asked if he needed anything else before going back to bed.

He sighed and said no.

I said goodnight and shut my bedroom door behind me.

Sitting under the covers, I wondered what kind of life being a Sky Knight must entail.


	9. Come With Me

_I didn't like that last chapter… But I liked the stress shown from a vigorous lifestyle. I apologize for the PoV changing in this chapter, however many times._

_Come With Me_

_Aerrow_

Thank God for medication. I got at least five hours of solid sleep. Able to properly function in the morning, I woke up and found something to eat. Kai was still asleep, so I did my best to stay silent.

For being home alone most of her life, Kai sure had a way to keep food stocked in the house, and most of it was fresh food. To keep it simple, I grabbed a loaf of bread and stole a few slices before replacing it in the fridge, placing them in the toaster before walking off.

I stayed away from the garden, knowing how protective she was over her hard work. However, I left my energy blades out there and was forced to retrieve them. With time still left before my toast was ready, I decided to check on Kai and make sure she was all right, asleep or otherwise.

I pushed open the door quietly, leaning against the doorway. Kai had an arm flopped over the side of the bed, most of her covers on the floor. If she moved any more, she'd fall to the floor. I smiled, watching her for a moment more. When the toaster ejected the toast, I jumped, glancing over my shoulder in the direction of the kitchen.

I decided the toast could wait and watched her for a moment more.

And her eyes shot open. Blinking a few times, she reached the dangling arm up to rub her eyes. "…Aerrow? Wha… Are you okay? Is something wrong?" She sat up quickly, still rubbing her eyes.

Still smiling, I pushed myself off of the doorway and entered her room. "No, I'm fine. I'm making some toast. You don't need anything, do you? After I eat, I have to head out."

Sighing, she looked away from me toward the ground before standing up. "…All right. No, I'm not that hungry." She stood up. "I don't want to keep you here if you have to leave…"

"Once I'm done eating I have to head over to the Condor and make sure everyone is up. Then we have all day to pack and we leave as soon as we're done."

Kai pushed her way past me and into the bathroom, fixing her hair in the mirror. That's when I first noticed how truly long it was. Gathering it up in her hands, it waved back and forth against her legs. Once it was in a hair tie, held high up on her head, it fell only a few inches short of its actual length, which was still stunning.

"Are you sure you're not hungry? I made more than I'll probably eat anyway…"

She shook her head. "I don't really have an appetite today."

I walked into the kitchen and pulled the toast from the cooker, eating silently while Kai picked up the house. Suddenly, we both umped, hearing someone knock on the door.

Kai, still dressed in her pajamas, was reluctant to answer it. However, she did.

"Miss Kai, can I talk to you for a minute?" It was an older man, around the age of her father.

Fearing for her safety, I stood up, keeping a close eye on her.

Kai leaned against the doorway and instructed him to proceed.

"Kai… I know you predicament. I disapprove of what your father's doing but I can't intervene alone. The Council won't let me speak for more than a moment so I can't get a motion passed for you… But you need your freedom. I picked up your application the second that old man had filed it away for the week's work and had it processed immediately."

Kai yawned.

"You need your freedom… Here," he handed her something.

Opening her eyes wide enough to read what was on the sheet of paper, Kai then launched toward the man, wrapping her arms around him. "Oh, thank you, Mark! You have no idea how much I needed this…"

He smiled, gently prying her off of him. "I heard the Storm Hawks are leaving today… Bet you're happy, eh?"

She stayed silent, hugging her arm.

"…I should really get back to work. You can come visit me any time you need something, all right?"

She nodded, thanking him again.

"No problem, Kai. I'll see you around." He waved, walking off.

Kai closed the door, jumping up and down, hugging the coveted document. Seeing that I was watching the event unfold, Kai ran forward and wrapped her arms around me. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she squealed, rocking me back and forth.

Feeling a bit motion sick, I laughed. "Kai, I didn't really do anything."

"You verified my application! Without that, I wouldn't have my license!"

I smiled, hugging her back. "Look, Kai, I really… have to get going… If you want to help us out, you can find me in the shops center."

Kai let go, stepping backward. "Okay… When do you think you guys will be coming back?" She knew that my leaving meant she'd be alone again.

"Not sure… I think we're travelling farther out this time, closer to Cyclonia. It may be six months, may be longer."

Her green eyes saddened. I forced myself to look away and not be swayed by emotion. "It's okay," she sighed. "I don't want to keep you here. Do you have everything you brought?"

Taking a look around, I pointed to my energy blades. "Just those."

"Those are mine," she corrected.

Double-taking, I noticed the Striker crystal was purple. Those were hers. "Huh… then where are mine?"

Grasping my shoulder, she turned me around and pointed out that I had one on my back.

"I know I got the other from the backyard, but where did I leave it…?"

"Kitchen," she pointed.

I laughed nervously, retrieving the weapon.

Kai stayed quiet. She didn't want to say goodbye…

I grasped the garage door handle and said a farewell. She responded with a silent wave. I shut the door behind me, pulled my Skimmer from the garage, and sped off.

A sickening feeling grew in the pit of my stomach. I knew, somehow, this wasn't the end, that my hard work at gaining her trust and friendship wasn't a waste.

_Kai_

This was the first time I ever felt sad about someone leaving. I sat on the couch for the longest time, staring at the remnants of Aerrow's bed. The pillow and blanket were stuffed into the corner, ready to be folded up and put away.

His presence still lingered in my house… I looked toward my room and I could see him standing in the doorway. Walking into the kitchen after picking up his crumb-covered plate, I could see him standing over the toaster, eagerly awaiting breakfast.

If they were leaving today, that meant my father must've radioed them that their sky rides were all fixed up and ready to go. Fastest job of his life… I sighed quietly, bringing myself to put the bedding away in the ottoman. Though it was the only thing that kept me believing that Aerrow was still here, it had to go.

I walked over and pulled open the garage door, staring at the red Switchblade sitting in the darkness. The smell of oil and used crystal fumes hung in the air, something I usually avoided breathing in. His Skimmer was also gone, another factor bringing me closer to reality.

I closed my eyes, letting out a sharp breath. I decided, "That tears it," and stomped into the garage. The door slowly rose as I climbed onto my ride, zooming out before the door was even open. Sensing I had left, the door quickly recalled its order and shut once more, letting me be on my way.

An hour having passed, I wondered if the Storm Hawks had already left. How long did it take to pack supplies, anyway? I know they had been gathering crate after crate, stacking them all up at the end of the Terra… Either way, I was either catching up to a ship, or helping them pack.

I was determined to say a formal goodbye. Racing through town, I had to keep alert. Now that I was legally allowed to drive, I didn't worry about risking it and blowing my cover. I drove as fast as I could, not bothering about how much noise my Switchblade made.

I wove in and out of the buildings and homes, racing toward land's end. Upon reaching it, to my surprise, the boys, and girl, were still there. I skidded to a stop, having to force myself into a tailspin to keep from falling over. With the scent of burning rubber in the air, along with anxiety and fear, I had made my presence known, and all eyes were on me.

My face now bright red, I stumbled off of the bike and rushed out of sight, searching for the red head. "Aerrow?!" I called out, waving back to Finn as I passed by. Looking around and behind me, I wasn't entirely watching my step and ran right into someone—who happened to be exactly the person I had set my sights on.

Smiling, I leaned over to catch my breath.

"Not much of a runner, are you?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Couch potato," I raised my hand. "Look, that wasn't fair of me, to let you leave like that. With… without a proper goodye."

"Goodbye?" he asked. Shaking his head, he laughed, "No, goodbye is forever… I'm coming back."

Those all-too familiar words struck quite a loud bell. My brother had said the same exact thing before going off to defend Atmos against the Cyclonian Talon forces. My eyes filled with tears and I looked away. "I'm sorry… I have a hard time saying goodbye if it causes sadness."

He nodded. "I understand. Do you want to help out, or do you not want to stick around…?"

"Help!" I chimed. "How much more do you have left?"

"About ten minutes worth. Grab whatever you can and load it onto Junko's bike. He'll fly it back in. Finn and Junko are taking turns, just look for the Skimmers with the red flags tied to them." Leaning over, Aerrow picked up a rather light crate and handed it off to me.

Kicking up a knee to support the box, I saluted him, catching the box before it became unbalanced. I turned and playfully marched away, doing as I was instructed until there were no crates left.

That's when reality finally hit me. _Now_ I was going to be alone and there was nothing I could possibly do.

Footsteps led up to where I had sat down on a stack of crates and a saddened voice spoke up.

"I guess it's time for us to go…," Aerrow sighed, sitting down next to me.

"Yeah… I'll get over it. It's only a few months, right? Maybe a year? Not too long."

A short, agonizing silence was placed between us before Aerrow stood up, holding out a hand to help me up as well.

His next few words turned my mood around in an instant.

"Come with me."


	10. There's a Catch

_There's a Catch…_

_Kai_

"Come with you?" I asked, not entirely sure what he meant.

"Yeah. Come with me."

Still confused, I cocked my head to the side and made the confusion obvious.

"Come with us! When we leave…" He smiled.

I smiled as well, finally understanding. "Aerrow, I can't… My dad would kill me. Plus, he's not even here for me to ask."

"Exactly! He's never there! What's the point of making someone stay somewhere they don't feel at home? Have you ever not been home when your father came home?"

I nodded slowly. "He came home and I was out running errands. Though I didn't come back until later, he didn't seem all that surprised that I wasn't home."

"Then why ask him if you can come with us? He's just as much of a father as I am a Talon. That trip to the Talon Academy didn't count… But you shouldn't be here unsupervised!" Taking an authoritative stance, he stared me down. "I will not let you be here unsupervised," he told me. "I order you to leave with us immediately."

I turned around, pressing my wrists together. "You'll have to handcuff me."

He laughed quietly. "Come on. You're under orders to pack up and leave. Don't want to upset the authorities, now do you?"

"Depends… what will they do to me if I defy?" I closed my eyes, turning my head away from him. This conversation sounded terrible. "Okay, okay, I'll go pack."

"You have two minutes before we really have to get going. You don't need much, just get what's necessary."

I nodded. "Be back in a few!"

It wasn't but a moment before I was back at the house, and another before I gathered everything I needed. A week's supply of clothes, a tooth brush, shoes, hair ties were a must…. Everything I would need as if I were leaving on a week-long trip. I stuffed it all into a bag and hid it under my Switchblade's seat. Already longer than Aerrow had said, I rushed outside and flew between the buildings. Upon reaching land's end, I realized there was no chance in hell I was going to be able to stop. Smiling at Aerrow before my wheels left the ground, I released the wings and threw the bike into a tailspin.

Idling in the air, I shouted toward Aerrow, "Are you coming or what?!"

He smiled, rushing to his bike. With the last of the load taken care of, and the others appearing to have left, we were free to go to the ship. Speeding off of the edge with as much acceleration as he could gather, Aerrow was in the sky in no time.

With a smile, I followed after the Sky Knight and prepared to board the Condor to stay. Once we landed, I retrieved my pack from under the seat and stepped a little further into the Condor, examining my new home.

"Looks a bit different than last time," I explained.

He nodded. "Except for the new supplies, it looks like Piper cleaned up around here."

Suddenly, an alarm went blaring through the halls and the ship went on lockdown.

"What the hell?" Aerrow rushed off and I was quick to follow.

Finn came out of nowhere, stopping in front of us. "Where is it?!" With his cross-bow in hand, Finn aimed at just about anything that could move.

Stepping out from behind Aerrow, I became worried. "What's going on?!"

Piper, rushing up to Finn, sighed, seeing me. "Stork! False alarm! It's Kai." She didn't seem too thrilled.

Aerrow sighed as well. "Is it possible that we could all talk in the bridge?" he shouted over the alarm, which soon came to a stop.

Finn and Piper turned to walk in the opposite direction.

"I should probably introduce you to the team. Formally, I mean."

I shrugged. "Haven't I met everyone?"

"Finn and Piper, yes. Junko, maybe. Radarr and Stork? No."

I nodded. "Okay."

Once it seemed like we had everyone in the same room, Aerrow gathered everyone together. "For everyone who hasn't had the pleasure of meeting her, this is Kai. She's a friend of mine."

Fearing for his life, a Merbian creature continually stepped backward, holding his arms in a defensive position. "Is that the Talon I saw?!"

I knew they were skittish, but wouldn't he be able to tell the difference between someone who's a Cyclonian Talon and a simple civilian?"

"No, she lives on Atmosia. She's far from being a Talon. Just for future reference, she _does_ own a Switchblade, so please be careful. Now… If no one has any objections, she's going to be staying with us for a while. Her father had other priorities and had… well, pretty much abandoned her. So for the time being, she shall call the Condor her home."

I smiled, trying to keep my gaze off of the group. Without much practice with people, shyness was a trait that sat heavily on my personality. However, I was surprised to hear a lack of objection from Piper, someone who seemed to have a problem with me in general.

"Sweet! One more chick on board!" Finn cheered.

"As long as she's not a Talon," the Merb muttered, turning to adjust some controls before returning to the conversation.

"So if it's not too much trouble, Junko, we'll be setting one more plate at the table every night."

He smiled and nodded, welcoming me to the ship.

I returned the smile and continued to listen until a strange creature launched himself onto my head, trying to keep me immobile.

Piper laughed.

"Radarr! Radarr, this is Kai, she's a friend."

_This_ was Radarr? When Aerrow talked about Radarr before, I assumed he was a young boy, not a creature! "Is he your pet?" I asked, scratching at his head.

Everyone in the room cringed, the tension rising.

Something bad was about to happen.

In Radarr's furry language, he began cursing, scratching at an exposed skin he could get his paws on.

Struggling to remove the creature from my head, Aerrow soon advised me of a slight problem, "Whatever you do… avoid calling him that. He's our mission specialist, not some pet." An apologetic look crawled over Aerrow's face as he set Radarr down on the ground.

Radarr stood up and crossed his arms across his chest, muttering something that could be inferred as, "Damn right."

I sighed, seeing the hair fall in front of my eyes. Loops and tufts had been pulled from the hair tie, causing me to fix the up-do entirely. I removed the tie and continued to listen as I remedied the issue.

"Kai, I have to talk to you about the rules of this place."

"Sure. As long as they're not too unreasonable, I'm sure I'll follow them to a 'T.'"

"Well…," he paused, unsure of how to word everything. "They're less like rules and more like guidelines. Everyone on the ship has to do their part—that includes chores, helping with dinner if Junko can't cook that night…"

Junko nodded. "Or if it turns out entirely inedible," he sighed.

"Oh, I completely understand! It's only right of you to ask me to help out around here."

"There's… one more thing," he laughed nervously. "In exchange for room and board, you have to help out with mission points…"

"Meaning…"

"If you live here, you're part of the team."

I gave a half-smile, raising a brow. "You're serious…?" I was sure not to seem repulsed by the idea when in fact I was almost over-joyed.

He nodded, rubbing his neck. "I can understand if you refuse—"

"I love the idea," I cut him off. "I'd rather be helping out friends than sitting at home alone."

Aerrow smiled. "Good. Everyone else okay with this?"

Before Piper had the chance to object, the majority had their say, and I could finally call this place home.

Ecstatic, I turned and hugged Aerrow, thanking him for taking me away from a horrid lifestyle into a much more exciting one."

Returning the hug, Aerrow laughed. "Now…," he whispered to me. "We have to do something about your Switchblade before you get hurt…"


	11. You're a Bit Odd, Aren't You?

_You're a Bit Odd, Aren't You?_

_Stork_

I heard a loud shriek erupt from behind me. _It's either Piper, or the new girl,_ I thought.

_Thump...crash_

I turned around from the controls.

"Don't... _ever_ do that again." It was the new girl. It was coming from somewhere around the corner.

"What? I'm just having some fun." Finn said, coming from the same direction.

"What's going on?" Aerrow asked. He wasn't with Finn or the girl.

I jumped a bit, hearing his voice. "Aren't you supposed to be helping Piper?"

"Yeah... but I was looking for Finn. I think I just found him, too."

I went back to the controls.

Aerrow walked out of the room.

"Hey Kai... What's wrong with Finn?"

"Well, he jumped out and scared me. So, I pinned him against the wall."

_I remember when he did that to me,_ I shuddered. _Now, that was a horrid day. I don't think the boy will forget that._

"And, it hurt, too," Finn whined.

_I'm going to tune this one out. It's not going to go very far._ I kept my attention on steering. There wasn't much to do, but it's better to look out for Talons than to do nothing at all.

"Hey, Stork…," someone sighed from behind me.

I cringed. "What?"

"Nothing... Just sayin' hi." It was the new girl again.

"Oh, well hi."

She stood there for a couple minutes, staying silent.

"Don't you have somewhere to be... or something to do?" I asked her, breaking the silence.

"Nope."

I sighed. "Well, could you do something other than stare at me all day?"

She looked at the ground, then back up at me. "I guess Junko could use some help. He's making a sandwich." She looked at the ground again. I guess she was disappointed.

"Oh, trust me. He doesn't need any help with that." I mumbled as she walked away.

Someone else walked in, humming a strange tune. Thought it must've been Piper because no one else really hums. Except Finn, but that's not really humming… It's more of an annoyance to get someone to let him blast his music—which never worked.

"Hey, Stork." I was expecting her voice. "I've got a question."

I groaned quietly. "What is it?"

"Do you have any idea why Finn keeps holding his arm?" I was the observer. I stood by and watched closely, listening to everything. The team could always rely on me to recall events. If I didn't know, chances are no one did.

I thought the girl might have done something other than just push him up against the wall. Just by looking, I could tell the girl had a kick to her, reminding me to stay away from her bad side. "What happens every time someone new comes on the ship? The new girl got scared. The only difference this time around is she fought back."

"Oh... so he scared her, too?"

I nodded.

"By the way, it's Kai."

I turned my head to look at her, then turned it back. "What is?"

"Her name; it's Kai."

"I know."

I see no point in trying to remember someone's name if there's no attachment. She's not my friend. She's not my enemy... far as I know. I _do _know that she's a bit overly friendly and overly trusting, but that doesn't really change anything.

After my pondering, I realized I had a question for Piper.

"Do you know _why_ she wanted to join the team?"

She pressed her lips together, thinking. "Did she want to join? Or… or did Aerrow ask her?" He looked away, laughing wryly. "I think she invited herself and somehow manipulated Aerrow's emotions to let her come on board."

"Hostility, eh?"

I sighed. I let the auto-pilot take over. I felt a wave of curiosity pass over me as I wondered what was going on in the kitchen. But, it doesn't really change that much. Junko's always cooking something when he's not messing with a useless piece of junk.

But...'Kai' was in there.

Something told me this was going to be a very strange week.

Blinking, she shook her head. "What do you mean hostility?"

"You're worried about Kai getting in the way."

She laughed nervously. "In the way of what?"

I sighed. "I doubt the girl has any diseases…," I counted off the number of possibilities on my fingers. "If you're not fearing for your life, you're worried she's going to take something from you. I can feel it."

Shying away from the conversation, Piper stayed silent.

"She doesn't seem like the type to deliberately take something away from you, or anyone else. I think you're over-thinking things. Give her a chance, will you?"

Sighing, Piper nodded. "I suppose you're right. Thanks." Slowly, she made her way out of the room.

I sat down on the floor by the controls, feeling secure after I had mopped not too long ago. I lifted a hand to brush hair from my eyes, looking around the room. The new girl's scent lingered in the air.

It was a pleasant scent, something I wouldn't mind tolerating.

I could deal with having a new person on board… Having met her, informally or otherwise, she didn't seem like a bad person. I just have to be more careful about locking down for Switchblades… Hopefully Aerrow will fix it up so I won't have to worry about mistaking it.

With another sigh, I was soon relieved of another problem. "At least Finn will keep busy; she doesn't look half bad…"


	12. Unexplained

_I did a concept art of Kai if anyone wants to see: lilahjae. deviantart .com/art/Kai-Storm-Hawks-156881902 (remove the spaces in the beginning); there's another up there as well, a recent sketch as of yesterday. Take a look in my gallery for that._

_Everyone, while you're at it, Youtube Upular by Pogo. Amazing mix from Disney's Up sound clips._

_Also, I'm very happy for the new reviews, however if you don't sign your reviews I can't properly thank you! I fear the only reason I'm not getting more readers is because of my OC. SHES NOT TAKING OVER she's just an addition with a spotlight in the story. No one's personality is going to change because of her, I'm not entirely a rabid fangirl._

_Unexplained_

_Aerrow_

You know, this could be good for the team, having another girl on board. Not only would it help balance out the sides but it could keep Piper off our backs. With the bulk of the team being male, Piper was easily annoyed and aggravated. Maybe having Kai here would help her find an escape…

She can even talk things out with her, like things she wouldn't dare think of speaking to us about.

Now _that_ I'm extremely thankful for and hopes she picks up on the idea as well. The girl needs to talk to someone about those things, and I don't want to be the one she resorts to anymore.

Walking around the foreign vehicle, I examined all the tell-tale signs. What her bike needed was a fresh coat of silver paint, gunmetal paint, and/or any other color of her choice. I'd have Junko get the paint out of the storage once we removed the Cyclonian insignias.

"What else do you think needs to be done?" she asked, tearing off the seat. She reached in and removed a few fix-it supplies.

"It would be smart to put some armor on it, seeing as you might have to take battle to the skies…"

"The armor for it is back at my house…"

"Then you'll have to buy some new armor," I laughed. "We'll make a pit stop to get Storm Hawk plates and get some armor too."

She smiled. "Thanks, Aerrow. This… you have no idea how much this all means to me."

"We're stopping at a bazaar tomorrow so we'll do what we can today and head out there in the morning."

After assessing what needed to be done on the internal parts, I found Kai's handiwork to be extremely above par. Compared to what I've seen done on the ship, we might just have ourselves a new mechanic. I laughed at myself for thinking any less of Kai's work to begin with.

However, with our destination in mind, I thought twice about fixing up her ride for the time being. "You know… We're going to be passing by the Talon Academy in the next few days…"

Kai perked up, interested in the new topic. "Talon academy… I was almost going to enter that thing."

I laughed for a moment. "Here, come with me. I want to try an old idea out on the team…"

Walking her around the ship, I noticed it didn't take long to gather everyone in the bridge, knowing Stork wouldn't budge long enough to explain myself.

"Remember our last trip to the Talon academy?"

Radarr growled.

Piper seemed to like the idea already.

"I _know_ it's been done and we can't go back…" I urged Kai to come out from behind me. She couldn't hide… She had to learn to be a part of this team. I took a seat at the circular table, everyone following not too long after.

"Dude, we can't go back. Your cover was blown and I doubt a Chroma crystal would bother with you two again," Finn laughed.

Lifting up a small box of crystals from the floor, Piper rummaged through it. "I don't think we have any functioning Chroma crystals left anyway… I'm dissecting one, but it doesn't work anymore. Ah!" Piper pulled one from the box, an array of colors glowing from the cracks of glassy volcanic obsidian ((**Look obsidian up. It's beautiful…**)). What powered the crystal was a mystery, but it's origins from the volcanic Wastelands was nothing less than frightening.

When you think about the fact that a crystal like that originated from such a foreboding place, it's almost scary to think what else goes on beyond a human's ability to travel through there.

Taking the crystal, Piper warned me, "This one's extremely unstable. Chroma crystals should never be that color." It was true—I'd only ever seen the obsidian take on an odd silver color… Maybe it was a newly born crystal and color changed with age? Who was I kidding… I knew nothing of the science behind crystals.

I nodded, handing the crystal to Kai. "Do you know how to use one of these?"

Kai's hand lingered above the crystal before changing her mind, retracting her reach. "I… I'm not so sure I want to even touch that thing."

"What're you thinking? You're going to send a highly untrained girl into the Talon academy?!" Stork screeched. "That could have extremely disastrous effects… She could even be manipulated to the point of turning on us!"

Kai snorted. "Ha! I may not know much about the Cyclonians but I know enough not to trust them!"

"How does she not know about the Cyclonians?" Piper muttered to herself.

Kai huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Look… before we can even consider this, we have to have a plan. I want to send Kai into the academy no matter your opinions. And, let's face it, our last encounter with a batch of talons didn't exactly go so well and we have a new, untapped resource."

Finn stifled back a laugh, along with Kai.

Rolling my eyes at the implied joke, I continued on with a sigh. "We have new means of communication and we'll have to use anything we can get our hands on to protect her if things go wrong. New or otherwise, Kai is now a part of the team."

I felt bad for springing any plans onto Kai, her only having been here a few hours.

"Since Piper and I can't go with you…" I hummed thinking it through. There was no rhyme or reason to send her in other than for information and she _was _untrained. It was impractical to send her there alone, but what choice did we have?

"Um…," Finn raised a hand. "I could go with her."

Finn could get himself into quite a bit of trouble unsupervised… I wasn't sure if I could trust him alone with Kai anyway. A new girl on the team, another chance to score—that was his mindset.

"I'll consider it."

Kai grumbled a few profanities at the idea.

"Stork, set a course for the Talon academy. If we don't have every inch planned out by the time we arrive, I'm calling it off."

The team, not all too surprisingly, was quite content with the idea. As long as it was planned…

"Assuming Finn goes with her, they'll have to fly in together. Taking one of the Skimmers is a dangerous and potentially cover-blowing action. With her Switchblade, it's a much more plausible idea. They may take the bike, I'm not sure."

Kai cringed. "I'm not letting them touch my bike. It's _mine_. A hell of a lot of work went into that thing!"

"I'm just saying… I don't entirely think freshmen are allowed sky rides, especially at your age. You can retrieve it in your escape."

"Aerrow," Piper chipped in. "She can't just walk out. The only way to leave is to take it by force, causing her cover _and_ Finn's to be blown. We'll almost be wasting our time there."

I shook my head. "So long as we come back with some information, it's never a waste."

"At what cost?" Kai asked. "My life, possibly?"

"No… at the chance that the Dark Ace may show up."

Finn laughed. "I doubt he'll show his ass."

Kai slapped the back of Finn's head.

"If he shows up, that's our ticket in."

"If not?" Piper asked.

"Then you two will have to get whatever information you can without him," I nodded.

"So, uh, how are we going to get in?" Finn asked.

"Kai has a Switchblade and the only people with access to those are Junkyard salesmen, Talons, and younger generations of talons."

"Ah! What if she is a family member of a talon?"

"A famous talon!" Finn laughed.

Junko laughed as well. The idea was quite outlandish. "How about Dark Ace?"

"Does he even have any living relatives?"

"She could be his sister. Like… a long-lost one," Finn laughed.

Piper sighed. "No known relatives…"

"That could be a good thing, but could back-fire too," I nodded.

"Guys, don't I have a say in this?" Kai slammed her hands down on the table, capturing all of our attention.

We instantly went back to planning it out.

Kai sighed, sitting back down.

"What about his daughter?"

Kai burst out in laughter.

I glanced over.

"The guy's too young to have a daughter my age."

We all watched her for a moment. Wasn't this the girl that knew almost nothing about Cyclonia?

"If there is any Cyclonian I know about, it's him. The Dark Ace is twenty six, and unless he was able to reproduce when he was twelve, I doubt I could pose as his daughter.

We all hummed, continuing to think. "Well, the only other route is to actually be truthful—she's the daughter of a mechanic who had a clunker Switchblade. "

Kai looked at me. "Or we could just not mention it."

Finn laughed. "There's a thought."

"First things first," I continued. "Tomorrow, we will go to the bazaar and get whatever else we need, including armor, parts, and supplies to fix up Kai's bike when we're through with the academy. We also need to get something that constitutes as a uniform for Kai."

Finn looked at her. "She looks fine to me."

"…Trust me, Finn, though it may distract a Talon, it's not entirely practical."

Kai protested, "Hey! I can move just fine wearing this!" she pointed out her shorts and tank top.

"It's still impractical," I noted.

"This crystal is still very unstable, Aerrow. I could try to stabilize it but who knows what kind of effects it will have."

"Chroma crystals are unlikely to surface at the bazaar so we'll have to settle for what we have."

"It's not dangerous, is it?" Kai asked.

"It's only dangerous if the crystal is shattered while in use or if it's unstable."

Kai whimpered.

"It'll be fine…," I reassured her.

"Can we get on with it?" Finn asked, beginning to grow bored.

I nodded. "The plan is, once we get there, to have you two attend," I told them, settling with the fact that Kai needed someone there, and Finn was the only man for the job. Finn quietly cheered to himself. "Once in the academy, you'll have to keep a story straight. Finn, you'll need a name. Trust me, you don't want to get stuck on that question after the fact. And none of your bullshit names, okay?"

Finn grumbled, sliding down in his chair.

Though his nicknames may fit a superhero, he's not tempering with the laws of physics today.

"How about Bob?" Kai joked.

"Might as well call me 'Stupid,'" he muttered.

Stork nodded. "That one sounds fine."

Now angered, Piper kept Finn back from Stork by his shoulders. Once he was calm, we resumed brainstorming.

"I know!" Kai chimed. "I'll be… Zaria!"

Piper and Junko agreed it fit her well.

She smiled. "Yay! I think it's a very pretty name too."

"How about Jared?" Finn asked.

"I don't know…," Kai mumbled. "It doesn't seem to fit where you come from."

"Precisely," he winked.

"It's a good idea not to stick with your origins here," I reminded her.

"Ahh…," she nodded. "Jared sounds fine. Zaria and Jared…"

"You two were meant to be together!" Piper joked, laughing.

"Oh shut up, I was kidding," Kai laughed.

I joined in, laughing as well. "Okay, okay… If you two are flying in together you'll need an excuse."

"Brother and sister, maybe?" Kai added.

Finn sighed. "Not entirely what I had in mind, but it could work."

I rolled my eyes. "Finn, I have to talk to you later about just exactly what you had in mind."

Kai giggled. "Oooh, you're going to get iiiiit."

I sighed. This was growing to be more of a joke than a time to plan out something extremely serious.

"Dude, do we really have to plan everything out? The only reason we were planning initially was because she was going in alone! I'm going with her, I know the ropes, can we say case closed already?"

A moment of silence.

I nodded. "Fine. But, I swear, if Kai gets one scratch while she's down there I'm going to rip your head from your body and shove it up your—"

"God, Aerrow, I'll be fine. I can handle myself."

"I'm not worried that you can't handle yourself, I'm worried that the Talon instructors can't keep their mouths shut. Trust me, it wasn't a pleasant experience when I was there. They will drill you into the ground leaving you with broken bones, tears, and bleeding palms."

Finn laughed at another implied theme.

"Damn it, Finn! One more time and I swear—"

Kai and Piper stood up to restrain me.

"Aerrow!" Kai growled.

"What are you getting so worked up about?!" Piper asked, her hands gripping my arm, as were Kai's on my other.

Kai's hands trailed down to my hand, trying to console me.

"… We're done here. You can go now," I walked off, a million thoughts swirling through my head.

Kai and Piper stood behind me, speechless and answerless from the scene that just unfolded.


	13. The Academy

_The Academy_

_Kai_

"Do you remember what you're supposed to do once you're down there?" Aerrow asked, handing over the supposedly unstable Chroma crystal. Cautiously taking it, I examined the odd color.

Those butterflies returned. The argument of excitement entered my mind. Fear? I sighed.

Piper managed to searched the entire ship and found yet another Chroma crystal for Finn, luckily. The next day, we visited the bazaar and found some interesting stuff. Aerrow picked up a few supplies for my Switchblade and I had time to find something that constitutes as a uniform. The boys may think otherwise, Piper may as well, but it was all they had! And I quite like it…

Though they have yet to see it, of course. I have to show up to the academy in my casual clothes. I'm supposed to be responding to fliers, Aerrow said.

I whined, nodding.

"Look, don't be afraid," Aerrow laughed. "The crystal won't hurt you… I promise."

Though his smile reassured me of that, that wasn't what I was worried about. "I'm more worried about going in alone…"

"Finn's going to be with you!" When I only glared in response, he nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Just rely on your instincts. We can't use a Hypnosis crystal on you, sadly. You won't remember much or be able to remember enough to have the trip be worth it."

"How do I look?" Finn asked, walking in.

Turning around, I glanced at Finn's new appearance. His surfer-blond hair had turned a gruesome black, his eyes a menacing red.

I scratched at my scalp. "I... don't know."

Aerrow sighed. "Evil, yes. Convincing? A bit too much so."

Whining, Finn spoke up, "But I like this…"

Grasping the Chroma crystal tighter, it activated, changing my appearance in a blast of light and crystal energy.

"Nice hair," Aerrow smiled, though when his eyes moved to scan the rest of my body, I knew something had changed… Especially when Aerrow looked shorter.

Finn forced himself to look away.

Grasping the end of my braid, I noted my golden orange hair had lost all color, taking on a white shade. "Sweet… What else changed?" I knew something was different. I didn't feel so small anymore…

"Don't worry, you still look amazing," Aerrow laughed nervously. After realizing what he said and the infliction used, he looked away, blushing.

Finn laughed. "Now that's the truth!"

Aerrow continued once he'd recovered from the embarrassment, "Looks like the unstable crystal had some… unforeseen effects," he laughed, leading me off to a room with a mirror.

My expression turned to worry. "Why? What happened?" Once in front of a mirror, I was sure something was different. My eyes had turned bright silver—in fact, they were glowing. But that wasn't all… "What… what happened?"

"Looks like the crystal grew you up a bit," he smiled. "This is good. This'll give you an advantage in the academy. You'll be training with the older group…"

"I look like I'm…"

"About twenty sounds right!" Finn smiled, peeking into the bathroom

I smiled. "I'll be driving," I told Finn. "Aerrow, how far out are we?"

"You have a few kilometers to fly, but it's not that far. It'll take you five minutes, maybe."

I nodded. Finn quickly left to the bridge to ready any supplies Aerrow had set aside for us to bring.

Aerrow stood there in silence while I stashed the Chroma crystal in my clothes. Once it was hidden, there seemed like there was nothing left to say. That is, until Aerrow moved.

Stepping forward, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. "You have to promise to be careful, alright?" Aerrow and I were about the same height, now.

Stiff in his arms for a moment, I misunderstood his purpose.

"I… I can't have you hurt. I won't live it down if you get hurt… You've only been on the team for a few days now. Please, Kai… just be careful."

This was unlike him… In any case, I hugged him back and soon evaded his grasp. Though he was giving me conflicting answers, I reassured him with the positive one. "I'll be fine. You said it yourself!"

Unsure of his own answer, Aerrow nodded softly. "Here… Use this in a case of emergency, and _only _in an emergency, all right?" He handed me some sort of metal device encasing a crystal.

"A Messenger crystal?" I muttered, examining the strange device.

"Keep it on you at _all_ times, you understand?" he said seriously.

I nodded. "I promise."

That would be the last I'd heard from Aerrow for quite some time.

ooo

"You know… you really do look much older now!" Finn interjected, holding onto me tightly.

I nodded. "I wonder what our excuse is now! I look like I'm twenty, but you're still fifteen!"

There was quite an advantage to looking older—being a kid, I got less respect. Being older, I had that much more power behind anything I said, even if I was a freshman at the academy.

"I'm a bit scared, I have to admit," I told Finn.

"The best advice I have every gotten about the Talons was… They always blink first. Always. Talons would rather not kill you if it meant saving their own hides. However… The Dark Ace is different. Rumor has it that he wasn't trained as a talon, and even if he was, someone favored him.

"The Dark Ace won't blink, and you can be sure of that."

I lowered my eyes as I retracted the wings, hitting the ground with full force. I'd never flown with anyone else and my bike had sure shown no mercy with the added weight. After pulling the bike to a stop, gathering my things, and shoving Finn off the vehicle, we entered the main building and collected the required forms.

Finn sighed, "Please sign here to hand over your soul to Cyclonia."

"Make sure you write the correct name," I laughed.

"Right, right…"

Filling out the form completely, I signed the false name and simultaneously felt my spirit being drained. I was here for the long-haul, and no matter how long it took us to gather the information, we were stuck from then until we could escape.

I never knew how grueling and life-changing an experience could be until this was all over.

Once we handed in the forms, our aliases belonged to Cyclonia.

We were escorted into a large training area where young Talons were already getting the brunt of their force. Once our escorts had left, we were soon spotted by a group of boys who soon took over the initiation process.

"Well, well… Now, who might you be, shorty?" an older man walked up to me, pointing out our large height difference. Even with the few inches the unstable crystal had given me, it wasn't enough to call a considerable change. Now I knew that being older wasn't going to change the fact that I was _short_.

"…Zaria. Now piss off, I'm tired and I want to go rest." I pushed the man aside, only to have him grasp my arm and pull me back into my place.

"Get your hands off of her!" Finn demanded, futilely prying his hand away.

In one swift move, he knocked Finn back. "Oh? I don't think you have much say here, little man."

Though little details weren't the main priority at the moment, my mind couldn't help but wander. The man seemed about my apparent age, which would give him motive to over power me.

_Men…_

Finn hugged his arm, tending to a new bruise. He muttered to himself a few profanities, never taking his eyes off of the elder man.

"Now… What do you say? How about we get to know each other a bit… better…" He inched his way closer.

I stood silent for no more than a split second before making a potentially dangerous move. I dropped my pack and spun around, pulling an energy blade from a holster on my back, and held it to his neck. "How about I pull your insides out and you get to know _them_ a bit better?"

His friends instantaneously took about ten steps backward.

The man stared at the charged blade held to his jugular and smiled. "Just wait 'til the chief hears the new chick has a weapon!"

Finn released his grasp on his arm and cheered, "All right, K— ...Zaria!"

Before I knew it, the boy's cheers cut to zero and the man's smile grew wider. A warm, rough hand was placed on my back with a thud and I released the trigger on the blade.

Oh, shit…

I glanced over my shoulder with a nervous smile and let the man go free. The man hovering over me didn't entirely seem too thrilled that I had arrived with a weapon.

"Promiscuous, eh?" He pulled the secondary blade from my back and retrieved the one in my hand. "Odd crystals…"

I backed up and turned around, my head lowered from the authority figure. I was going to play dumb here and try to make it out alive.

"You think you can just waltz in here with a weapon?"

"Look, I didn't—"

"Shut up, I'm talking."

I pressed my lips together and looked away. Who was this? Upon looking for support, I noted that Finn had conveniently disappeared. I sighed, rolling my eyes.

"What was that?" The man looked up, holding my chin in his hand so I couldn't look away. "You have a lot to learn, rookie." He took my jaw and threw it to the left, releasing it from his grasp.

I held my jaw in one hand, rotating it back and forth in protest. "I may be short, but at least I can fend for myself!" I soon covered my mouth, realizing speaking possibly meant my life, or at least my spirit, in this situation.

Grabbing my upper-arm, the man drug me through the training area—a form of humiliation as the students stood by and laughed—and into a bunker, pushing me to the ground. Before I had a chance to catch my bearings, he ordered a student to get a bucket of water and a cleaning utensil. I was supposed to clean the men's bunker?!

"What?!" I shouted toward him.

"You are _the _most protestant student I have seen yet! But don't worry…," he laughed. "We'll break you."

The student quickly returned, slamming the bucket down next to me. As I was still partially lying on the ground, the water that slopped out hit me and I winced. God only knows what was in that water.

I spit off what had landed on my lips and slowly rose to my feet, glaring at the persistent instructor. "Just you wait…," I muttered to myself, picking up the rag to throw it into the bucket. I picked up the bucket and carried it across the room, setting it down next to a bunk.

I sat down, sighing.

"Oh, by the way…," the instructor called out. "Have a good first day, rookie."

I huffed, blowing my bangs from my eyes.


	14. Training Day

_Training Day_

_Finn_

It was strange entering the academy. I had no idea what to expect. Who was training there? Aerrow mentioned Snipe… Maybe he would be there? Ravess? Cyclonis wouldn't be here… She couldn't be bothered with lowly Talons.

And, of course, Kai would act out. If there was anything Aerrow should've told her it would be to keep her mouth shut… Sure, I don't mind, but it could've gone a hell of a lot worse. Luckily, I managed to escape before I was caught up in the mess.

I slinked away, grabbing our supplies and her weapons before disappearing. Was it safe to have these around? I was surprised the guy didn't take them and break them… I threw the pack over my shoulder and made my way to the designated bunker, finding Kai to be scrubbing the floors with a less-than-ideal tool—a worn-out rag.

I couldn't help but laugh a bit, knowing I had been forced to do the same chore on the Condor many times.

Kai slammed the rag down, looking up. "What? You think it's funny? You do it."

I set our stuff down on an empty bunk and knelt down, helping out. "I'll lend a hand… Sound good?" I did feel bad for not having stopped her or the instructor. It was partially my fault she was in trouble.

She smiled. "Thanks."

It was nearly an hour and a half later before we managed to make it look decent.

Kai laid back on the cement and sighed. "Finally... Thanks for your help, Finn."

I laughed. "Don't expect much of it."

She smiled.

_Kai_

"Listen up, rookies!"

Finn and I were instantly separated into two groups, then two groups again. The lower, and the upper because of our age—then between males and females. I sighed and looked around.

An elder woman held my chin and forced me to look straight ahead. "You all are here to be talons, yes? If not, you're screwed anyway. Today! You shall be tested and graded. We will be seeing who needs more work!"

I looked away again and she grabbed my chin. "I see you'll be the first, then! What's your name?"

"Zaria Everett," I growled.

"Ooh, defiant… I heard we had a rebel from a friend of mine. I just didn't expect her in my group! This should be interesting. Everett, get on the trainer and show us just what exactly it is you can provide… You!" she pointed toward another scrawny female. "Oppose her. Now!"

The girl walked toward the two training Switchblades ahead of us. "I really don't like this already…"

I looked over toward her. "Well… try to have fun! I haven't been flying for long so this will be something new."

"It's in-air combat," she reminded me.

I closed my eyes for a moment, taking in a sharp breath. _I can do this, I can do this, _I reassured myself. I had never fought in the sky. What did they expect me to do?

"The trainers are only equipped with Stun crystals… So it won't be that bad."

We took our separate ways and I climbed onto the opposite trainer.

"First one forced off their trainer, loses. Go!"

With enough room between us and the crowd, the first test was to not flatten anyone out before take-of. I passed that simple test in an instant. However… getting the girl off her bike was going to be difficult—not to mention that we're in the air.

I scratched at my back once I was stable in the air, readjusting the tightly-strapped parachute they supplied both me and the girl. I didn't understand how Talons could work in such a non-maneuverable uniform!

Noting that I seemed preoccupied with my parachute, the girl took action and fired a stun blast toward me. My instincts instantly took over from then-on-out. I took the Switchblade into a nosedive and spun the body into a roll, pulling up once I was safe.

A few students cheered, but silence from the pink-haired chief told me it wasn't good enough. No, simple tricks weren't going to cut it. I had to get her off her bike, and fast. I tipped the bike as far upward as it would go to match the other girl's altitude. She knew I was able to evade her attacks faster than she could throw them at me, and that was going to be an issue.

"_Talons always blink first. Always."_ What did that mean? Heading straight for the girl, I was about to find out exactly what that meant. "Talons always blink first!" If their lives were threatened when trying to kill someone, they'd rather not kill them!

Head-on collision. Perfect…

Continuing straight for her, it was a game of chicken. And I ultimately won. The girl swung her bike out of the way and I continued on forward. In another attempt of chicken, I had a different plan. Feeling more confident this round, the girl chipped in and decided to play again.

Heading straight for her, only inches away, I climbed up and stood on my seat. Upon jumping off, my trainer was kicked downward and safely evaded her own. My trajectory was perfect—I landed on the other side of her trainer directly behind her.

Desperately searching for me, she turned around when my weight was added to the bike.

"I win. Now get off my bike…"

Too stupid, or disturbed, to know all it would take to make me lose was a barrel roll, she bailed out and I climbed into the pilot's seat, landing the machine. The wayward trainer I had jumped from made its way into the clouds, never to be seen again.

Now the crowd was truly impressed—that is, except for the one who'd lost, the chief, and a group of three girls.

"Impressive…," the chief muttered.

"Not fair!" one of the three girls shouted. "She jumped from her own trainer. You said whoever gets off their trainer, loses!"

I glared at the girl.

"Hmm…"

"No, you said whoever is _forced_ off their trainer. I jumped at my own will. I forced _her_ off _her_ trainer and took it over."

Defeated, the girl stood down. A few of the other trainees went to retrieve the other student.

"Of course, the loss of the other trainer will cost you all of your points."

_I can never win…_ I sighed, nodding. I returned to my spot in the crowd and watched as each of the other students paired off and fought in the sky.

"The next trial," she announced once everyone was safely on the ground, "will be much more difficult. This is a traditional sparring bar. In hand-to-hand combat, you're required to take out your opponent with whatever resources necessary. However, this is a controlled environment and you will be forced to use your balance, any prior training, and whatever strength you can muster up to beat… me."

We all looked at her, stunned. She expected us to fight _her_? Examining the area, I noted two large sparring sticks. That's probably what we were going to be using.

If there was one thing I knew I could accomplish, it was fighting. Being alone, I had a lot of free time. That large field allowed me to set up obstacle courses. I built up agility and reaction time. At one point I had something similar to what we'd be using, but it was built for one. Though when training by myself wasn't enough, I snuck into the Sky Knight Academy and used their equipment. That was enough to kick start my fighting skills.

I didn't know it at the time, but they would come in quite handy that day.

I grabbed a sparring stick and volunteered to be first. However, she had other plans. "Let's see what the others have, all right? We know you're a bit of a show off."

I sighed, swinging the stick around to sit on my shoulder. I ended up hitting the argumentative girl in the head. I laughed.

"Oh shut up!" she growled.

Removing it from my shoulder, I tapped her head again. "Eh? What'er you going to do?"

She reached over and grabbed the other stick, hitting my side with it.

"Oh, you're going to die." I swung the stick toward her but she ducked. What she didn't anticipate was the fact that the stick had two ends. Angled downward, I waited for her to come back up and I jammed it up and hit her chin. I slammed it back down on her foot causing her to double over. By now she dropped the stick.

I hop-skipped around her and pressed the end to her rear and knocked her over. "I win." I shelved the stick on my shoulder and glanced behind me, asking the teacher, "Can I go again or does this count?" 

Shoved to the ground, another bucket slammed down beside me, water sloshing over my uniform. I sighed.

"Round two. Ding ding! Once you're done with that, you can come join us out here," the chief laughed, walking out of the room.

I glanced around the room. "The bathrooms?!" I released the muscles in my arms and fell back to the ground, whining. "At least I kicked her ass," I muttered into the grimy floor.


	15. Sunshine meets Darkness

_Very sorry for the wait, everyone. This week has been hectic._

_Sunshine meets Darkness_

_Kai_

I was starving. Kept up in the bathrooms way past lunch and dinner, I missed my only chances for a meal. My stomach cried as I laid quietly in the darkness, awaiting the morning bell. I didn't sleep well that night, either… Awake on and off throughout the entire night, I gave up when the slightest hint of the sun peaked through the crack in the bunker door.

Scaring me in my half-awake state, the girl on the bunk above me leaned over the edge, waving to me. "Hi!" she whispered loudly.

I rubbed my eyes, making sure it wasn't a dream. "Hey… Why are you up so early?"

"I find it traumatizing to be yelled awake. So I get up just before they walk in!" The girl then silently mouthed the words, "Three… two… one…" Before I could grasp what she was saying, The pink-haired chief, who called herself Ravess, barged in through the door and ordered everyone to get up.

My heart began to race. The blond girl on the bunk above me smiled. "See?" she whispered. "Much better." Like a sky monkey, the girl swung around and jumped down to the floor, helping me out of bed. Things were rushed, I was forced. The chief wanted us out of our beds and lined up before she reached us…

"We have a special treat for all of you!" she laughed. "After breakfast, you will all be joined in the arena. You shall have an extra hour to eat this morning because we have…. Well, it's even a surprise for us. We have a bit of work to do ourselves."

I smiled, sighing.

"What? You have something to say?"

"Thank God for breakfast!" I laughed.

The lady reached out and smacked me before bringing a finger to her lips. "Shh!"

I grabbed my cheek, taking two steps back. Elle stepped back with me, reaching a hand around my shoulder.

"Are you all right, Zee?"

"It's… Zaria…"

"I know… Zee just sounds so much better!"

Ravess blabbered on for only a moment more before taking her leave. My face stung with the new injury.

Elle looked at me for a moment. "Promise to keep a secret?"

My eyes widened. To be honest, I thought she was going to tell me she was a spy… just like me. I nodded slowly and watched her every move.

Elle looked left, then right. She noted the students were much too busy with the news of more time at breakfast to watch us. She reached into a drawer next to my bunk and pulled out a smooth-looking crystal. "Here, hold it to your skin," she reached out, pressing it against the injured skin on my face.

A cold sensation ran through the veins in my skin, the slight injury no long apparent. When she pulled it away, I could feel the blood rushing back. She stashed the crystal in a hurry, looking back with a smile. "Isn't it amazing?"

I smiled, nodding. "Thanks… What… is that thing?"

"It's some sort of… crystal… I'm not an expert on them. I barely keep track of the Cooking crystals in the cafeteria!"

I reached over and pulled open the drawer, searching for the crystal. Uncovering it only slightly, I scanned the object. "Looks like… a frost crystal?"

She cocked her head to the side in question.

"We used to use them to protect crops from fire…"

She smiled, sitting down. She gently took my arm and sat me down on my bunk next to her. "I'm from Terra Mesa…" ((**Ignore the lack of reference on the SH website. It used to be there. I don't know what happened…**)) "There isn't much that happens over there."

I lowered my eyes, looking around. She was becoming a bit too friendly for comfort. "Atmosia…," I added cautiously.

"But… you guys don't have crops…"

I nodded. "We have a very large amount of green surrounding the homes. If a fire were to strike anywhere that could endanger the homes, they would freeze the surrounding greens."

She looked confused. "But… crops?"

"Wrong word, wrong word, forget I said it. I was too starving to say anything else."

She stood up quickly. "Then let's get you some food!"

Stuffed, I leaned far back in my chair, waving to Elle behind the cafeteria counter. Finn, who had been watching me from across the room, rushed over the second he was done.

"Can I go now?" he asked quietly. The boy look traumatized.

I laughed. "We're not even close to done. One day and you already want out?"

He nodded furiously.

Elle jumped over the counter, joining in the conversation.

"Finn, Elle—Elle, Finn."

Finn smiled. "I'm being serious Kai, I want to leave!"

Elle looked at him sideways. "Kai? I thought your name was—"

"Shiiitt…," Finn whined.

I let my head fall back. We were both already screwed. Without realizing, I'd introduced the boy to her as "Finn."

Finn grabbed Elle's wrist, pulling her off. I left the rest of my breakfast on the table—not that I had any more room for it—and followed after the two. Finn pulled her past the doors and stopped, pacing.

"We can't tell her."

"We should."

"But Aerrow—"

"Screw him, this is our mission!" I growled. It wasn't as if a little slip up was a bad thing. In fact, if the girl didn't seem suspicious I would've let things lie.

"Tell me what the _hell_ is going on!"

Finn and I froze, turning to look at her.

"We're… from the Storm Hawks," I sighed.

"No way… You're _that_ Finn?" she grinned, turning toward the boy.

With a smug smile, he laughed. "Yeah, well…"

I smacked the back if his head, getting him to focus.

"If he's Finn, who are you?"

I looked away. "I'm new. Ignore that, though. You won't tell anyone, will you?"

She whined, her brows tugged together. Looking around the empty hallway, she sighed. And with a confident smile, she turned towards us and nodded. "You can count on me!"

You could feel the tension instantly drop—Finn and I were _relieved._ "I… haven't noticed you around the training ground," I noted.

She nodded. "I just work here. I help out… Like the cafeteria? Yeah… They decided I really couldn't pass as a talon but I had nowhere else to go. So I stuck around, doing odd jobs."

I smiled. "Can you get into the communications room?"

Finn looked at me, curious.

She nodded. "I send out weekly signals to the other talons."

"Could you possibly send one out to the Condor?" Finn asked.

She nodded.

"Five-six-one-one-zero," he told her, numbers that would've otherwise been absolutely useless to me. "Tell him Kai's in for trouble today."

"What?!"

"The boys were saying they were going to iron out the kinks in one of the rebels and from what they were saying, I assumed it was you. Trust me, Kai… today won't be fun for you." He turned back toward the girl. "Also, tell him nothing's changed and we'll stick it out a bit longer."

"You… don't want me to tell him that you guys screwed up and got a talon involved, do you?" She laughed. "No, I'm kidding. I won't betray your trust, you guys don't have to worry."

I nodded.

"You should get to the training grounds. Breakfast is almost over and you'll want to be there early for this one."

"What about you?" I asked as she began walking away.

"I have a message to deliver."

ooo

I noticed both the groups of trainees were here—male and female. All the girls I had trained with were here, some I hadn't, and all the boys. Two elder Cyclonians stood by Ravess, and another older male that looked like a trainer, dressed very similar to her as well.

Once Ravess and the other Talons were able to calm us down and get us quiet, she began speaking. "We have quite a surprise for the lot of you. Just sit tight, all right?" Walking off, she took the other Talons with her. With no one in front of us for a minute or more, we began to get anxious. Mixed chatter filled the air until a stony silence hit me like a rock.

I looked around, wondering why the chatter was cut off so suddenly. Finn looked quite a bit unsettled, everyone shifting in their seats.

That's when I saw him.

A prestigious-looking Talon walked in from stage right, taking the spotlight. He wore some sort of… metal headgear, stood tall and proud, decked out in Cyclonian armor. Whoever he was, he was high in the ranks. If there was anyone to get to know to get higher up, it would be him.

I glanced over to Finn who was furiously trying to get my attention.

"That's Dark Ace!" he mouthed, his eyes wide.

My eyes froze, my body locked up. I looked at the man, then back at Finn. Taking another look toward the supposed Dark Ace, my beloved Cyclonian Talon was walking before me. Against everything they stood for, Dark Ace was still someone to admire. No matter what he stood for, his training, his tactics… they were astounding. Only having heard stories, it was almost an honor to meet him.

Yet so devilishly dangerous at the same time…

Frozen in my place, I had nothing else to do but watch the events unfold. Who exactly was he, if he was the Dark Ace? What made him tick, what motivated him?

"Good morning…," the man smiled, giving a generic stare out toward the large audience.

I fazed out, thinking of everything that could possibly happen from this moment onward. What was he here for? Why hadn't anyone told me? Wouldn't Elle have known? Maybe it was a surprise… Maybe he wasn't supposed to be here? Did Ravess even know? I sighed quietly before someone gripped my shoulder from behind. I flashed back to reality, turning around as I was startled 'awake.'

"He's glad you're okay," Elle giggled.

"Aerrow?" I smiled. News of the red-headed boy brought my heart up from the sunken levels.

She nodded. "You two are close, aren't you?"

I shook my head, neglecting to pay attention to the famed talon. "No, not really. We only met a few days ago."

She hummed. "…You like him," she sang quietly.

I blushed, smiling as I looked away, toward Dark Ace. "He's… interesting. He's not a bore to listen to and not too bad to look at."

She nudged me. "You like him," she sang again.

I shrugged, nodding lightly. "…Give or take a few words, I have some interest in him."

She smiled, giggling. "I knew it!" She grabbed my arm, standing on her toes to see over the crowd. "Isn't he darling?"

"Dark Ace?" I asked. "He's the head Talon… Darling and evil don't mix very well."

She slapped my arm. "I didn't mean like that! I don't like him like you like Aerrow." Elle furrowed her brow, stumbling on her words. "Too many like's…" Shaking her head, Elle focused on the speech and advised me to do so as well.

"None of you know this," the man said confidently, "but my crew and I will be working with you strenuously for the next week."

"That means they're out of work," Elle giggled.

Ace's gaze shot over to us. "In… any… case…," he continued seriously. "One of you will have the pleasure of working with _me._ Who, of course, is the question."

The students became even more unsettled than before. Did they have a deep respect for him… or was it fear? The question of excitement was thrown into play. Excitement was my most questioned emotion, and that was evident.

I grabbed Elle's arm without realizing, staring at the dark-haired Talon.

"You want to work with him, don't you?"

I jumped, seeing I had gripped onto Elle. I laughed nervously, rubbing my neck. "You have no idea what that would do for our mission."

Elle glanced over her shoulder before staring at me with a mischievous smile. "Let me see what I can do." And with that said, the girl ran off.

Ravess walked in from stage left, holding a few stacks of papers. "Well, well… If I knew you'd be showing up, I would've been more careful with my choices."

So… Ravess didn't know he was showing up?

She handed him the few sheets and stood beside him. "All of you are to be on your best behavior… If I hear word one of any of you acting out, you will lose your lunch and dinner for a month."

That's when the silence really set in.

With a dark laugh, Ace gave a malevolent smile as he read off the picks. He quietly ordered Ravess to gather his entourage. While we waited only a minute or more for others to join us, Dark Ace began the first of many mind games. "I'm quite surprised who I will be working with. A freshman?" He laughed.

Quiet groaned filled his audience. My initial thought of a rookie audience fled.

"Said to be 'the most defiant' in their group. Possibly… the entire academy?" Now he seemed a little doubtful. "Well, I can say you won't be graduating with flying colors," he laughed, speaking to whoever had been chosen. "Only a few days here and your record is already quite blemished. I'm proud," he smiled, staring intently at the documents.

"I'm sorry, friend, I couldn't do anything." Elle returned, a grim expression on her face.

I sighed. "It was worth a shot."

"However…," Elle began.

As the other Talons entered stage right, the head Talon announced just who was going to be working with him. "Everett?" he looked up.

"That doesn't mean they didn't already have your name written down," she giggled.


	16. Worry, Worry

_I cleaned my room, got my office back, so I'm inspired! I'm taking up a thought from a review and continue leaving that last chapter on the cliffhanger. Thanks Lana!_

_Worry, Worry_

_Aerrow_

What was I supposed to do? I mean… what else was there _to_ do? We were playing a waiting game. This was our mission—this was the task at hand. Kai and Finn were going to be down there for… how long? I assumed Finn would've already given up, but no? I thought so little of the boy… Maybe it was time to give him a bit of credit.

I sighed quietly and hit my head against my desk. I was safe in my room. I didn't have to listen to anything but the sound of Radarr quietly sleeping on my pillow. No business, no stress, no nothing. So… why was I still so worried?

The stress of losing a teammate who'd only been on board for a few days was honestly killing me. I had chewed my nails down to the point where they were bleeding, my scalp was on fire from scratching, and the skin on my neck was raw from rubbing it. The muscles in my legs had even given out at one point from fidgeting. When my fingernails begged me to stop, I moved onto bothering Radarr.

"You sure you're too tired to do anything?"

The creature growled at me.

I spun the chair back around, rested my head on the desk, and continued hitting my head repetitively against the surface.

When a knocking noise entered the room—one I hadn't caused myself—I looked up. "What?" I asked.

"Aerrow… you've been in here for hours. Kai's been gone only a day, you haven't had breakfast, and Junko's getting worried!" You could always tell when Piper was worried—she would whine rather than demand.

I resumed hitting my head.

"Aerrow, stop it," she demanded, barging in. "You'll get a concussion and Stork doesn't want to land. I… don't think he'll want to fix a concussion either. Do _you_ want to get him started on the mindworm fiasco again?"

I let my head rest against the table. "No…," I whined.

"So, what's really wrong, then?"

"I'm exhausted," I lied.

She grumbled to herself.

"I just don't feel like getting up today… or leaving my room. I don't want to be awake."

She sat down roughly on my bed, waking up Radarr. "You're worried about _Kai_?" She grabbed the creature and threw him on her lap, inconsiderately raking her fingers through his fur.

I looked toward the noise. "…No? Okay maybe a little. It's just… She's new! How would you feel if a new team member was sent off without time to train on a strenuous mission? You know how hard it was being down there, and we _had_ training! She doesn't? What… what if something goes wrong? What if someone finds out who she is… What if Finn spills and puts her in danger?! They could damn well kill her…"

"Just… her? What about Finn?"

I cut myself off. What about _Finn_? Was he not important to me? Why only worry about the untrained teammate when I sent a lazy, inconsiderate, disobedient team member to _protect_ her?

I hit my head against the table. "Why. Did. I. Send. _Him_?! I should've gone with her. _I_ should've gone with her! I should've sent someone else, anyone else! Stork? Junko! Junko and Chroma crystals just don't agree… But she probably would have been better off than she is with _him!_"

"Ya damn right," she muttered to herself. At that point, Radarr had enough of her angered 'petting' and jumped off, cursing in his furry language as he let himself out of the room. "Look, Kai… I bet you Kai can handle herself. If she can't, she wouldn't have been able to survive on our team anyway."

I shook my head, looking up toward Piper. "At least I could protect her… She's with Finn… and I'm… here…"

Piper gave a half-hearted smile. "Look, if it bothers you that much, the least I can do is tell you someone's radioed for you. It's about Kai."

I shot up from the chair, unsure if it was a good call, or the ones you hope you never got at two A.M., or any other time for that matter. Rushing out of the room, I hung a left, then a right, powering my way through the Condor toward the radio. I picked up the receiver and shouted an anxious response.

"Wow, you kept me waiting!" the girl on the other end laughed. Her voice was too low to be Kai's, but too high to be any older than Kai. I shook my head, forcing the unnecessary thoughts from my mind.

"Who is this? What's wrong? Is Kai all right?"

She paused. "Still getting used to that name… Zee—Kai's fine. Some higher-up Talons showed up in the middle of the night. No one was entirely prepared for it. They're going to be drilling the students for the week… That's all I know about that, really."

I sighed before pressing the button on the receiver. "She's fine… Thank you so much."

"Listen, Aerrow… I heard something about the Dark Ace showing up. Look, if he shows up, she's in trouble. They're sending the worst student to work with him… She's at the top of that list!"

My eyes widened. Why had I wished for him to show up! Why?! "Damn it, damn it, damn it!" I slammed my fist down on the table.

"Whoa, take it easy…," she laughed.

Apparently I had neglected to let go of the button. "Sorry…" I looked around the room, thinking of what to do. "Can we trust you?" I asked. Chances are if she knew Kai, she was safe. However, I couldn't take many chances. We had no room to breathe and if anything went wrong… I didn't even want to think of that.

"Yeah… Aerrow, you have no worries. Only reason I joined this lame academy… It was the only way I could get close to being in any type of squadron. I flunked the Sky Knight academy, and I wasn't even good enough to be a _Talon_. This is the only excitement I've seen in a year… I'm cooped up in the kitchen all day or stuck cleaning the bathrooms. Promise me one thing…"

"Anything."

"Get me out of here and we have a deal."

"If I can't…?"

"I'll be the fifth suicide this year. The only difference with this suicide is _I_ won't be mopping up the blood."

I let out a held breath. Another weight was suddenly added to my shoulders—yet another life I was responsible for. "Then I guess I don't have a choice. You should go before you get caught. It's nice to know I can trust you, uh…"

"Elle," she giggled. "I'll keep my eye on Finn and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. Kai's smart enough, she'll hold her own. Finn, however… Well, I'd be keeping my eye on him anyway," she spoke slyly.

I rolled my eyes, laughing. "All right, go. I'm sure someone needs you, somewhere."

"Yeah, just about as much as I need to clean another bathroom. Thanks, Aerrow." The radio returned to an unsteady pattern of static.

At least I knew Kai was okay…

With nothing to do but wait, I stood up straight, walked off to the kitchen, and began to rummage for something that would remedy my boredom.

For the first time in a long time… I was bored.


	17. Once a Hero

_Once a Hero…_

_Kai_

I stepped forward and took the spotlight amongst the other. All eyes were on me—I wasn't cheered for, I was shunned. They wanted this spotlight. Each and every one of them secretly wished to be standing here, no matter how afraid they were of the strange Talon.

Honestly, I could've cared less about training with him. Sure, it was important to get the facts straight from the head honcho himself, but was it worth the jealousy? The strange looks? The silence…?

I kept my gaze low, watching the man from my peripheral vision. He stepped forward. "A girl…," he laughed in disbelief.

To draw attention away from a potentially dangerous scene, Ravess soon grouped off the other talons and cleared the arena.

"Hm."

I brushed my hair from my eyes. "What? Something wrong with me being a girl?"

He smiled. "I've never had to work with a female student…"

"I don't have cooties," I scoffed.

"Listen, I don't want to work with you just as much as you don't want to work with me, so can we find some middle ground here? Can we come up with an agreement?"

"You know, of all people I thought you'd enjoy this! You wouldn't rather torture a student? Someone who 'apparently' has no training experience?" _Okay, Kai, don't go overboard. _"I say you're chicken. You don't have the stones to work with a girl because you're afraid she'll kick your ass!"

Pressing his lips together, he stepped forward, looking down toward me. He held up a finger and smiled. "Just the argument I was looking for…" He stepped back and turned around, staring at the clouds.

What was supposed to happen? I was supposed to be a trainee Talon. I was supposed to have _no_ training, and my lack of tactical training should be enough… My lack of flying skills didn't seem to matter, seeing as I learned quickly. Fighting skills wouldn't matter, would they? Did Talons ever get far enough into a battle to have any type of combat? Finn gave me the impression that they were chickens… What about him?

If anything was going to happen, I knew I was in for trouble.

I wasn't used to being taller… I knew the instant I was back on the Condor, everything would seem a lot bigger, and the Dark Ace, a lot more intimidating. Though I only had about a four inch advantage with the added height, it still seemed like a considerable difference from my eyes.

"Honestly, I could give less of a damn about how you can fight," he spoke up. "I don't need another cocky Talon on the team… Chances are, if you survive the academy, you won't step foot off Cyclonia. If my team gets taken down, there's a back-up and a back-up for them, etcetera. This academy will teach you _bull_. You wanna learn?" He turned around. "If you jump off that cliff—," he pointed behind him, "—how long do you think it'll take you to reach the bottom?"

"Uhh…"

"If you were flying and you ran out of gas, what's the safest route out? If the only place you could land was the Wastelands, would you land or risk endless clouds?" He continually inched forward at a steady pace, staring me down. "If there was an invasion on Cyclonia, who would you run to? If the damned Storm Hawks showed up—"

My eyes went wide as the anger in his voice rose. Tears began clouding my silver eyes.

The Dark Ace cut back his words, looking away. "Don't do that."

I looked down toward my feet, fidgeting my hands.

His hands clenched into fists and the man walked off. "Let's go. The less time you spend here, the less corruption they fill your head with."

ooo

I opened my eyes and watched as we wove in and out of dark rain clouds. Unsure exactly of what direction we were in, the first tragedy came to mind—what if he ran into the Condor? Our mission would surely have gone down the drain…

Hours went by without sign of a destination. I wanted to question him—my stomach ached from both hunger and flight sickness. I needed to get to stable ground… I couldn't question him if I wanted to stay on the safe side. Who knows? Maybe they already know about the Storm Hawks infiltrating the academy and he's flying me to my death?

I sighed.

"You're not going to start complaining, are you?" he asked.

I loosened my grip around him, shaking my head. "No, I just forgot to breathe," I laughed. With the wind in my face and the thought of immanent death if I fell from the bike, breathing was the last thing on my mind.

He grumbled to himself. "Hold on tight," he demanded, tipping the bike straight downward without a split second to prepare myself. Fearing for my life, I gripped tighter onto someone that could potentially kill me.

As the bike spun downward, I felt this was it—this was the end. But, honestly… if you thought about it… Would someone with such a high ranking kill himself over someone that really didn't matter—over me? A wave of reassurance washed over me when I knew my life wasn't worth losing his. I was going to live and Dark Ace knew exactly what he was doing.

Just like Aerrow…

Things quickly changed—one moment we were falling downward, the next we were upright and driving full speed through less-than-favorable terrain. "Don't move, unless you have a death wish."

What was this place? This was a Terra I had yet to set foot on. For that matter, it didn't look like anyone could survive here. The farther in we traveled, the hotter it got. The lava surrounding us seemed like the likely cause of both the heat and the odd smell. I closed my eyes, feeling the blood flee for its life from the surface of my skin. The skin on my hands felt as if it was going to melt off—but I still couldn't complain.

The only say I had was when I could blink and when I could breathe.

I wanted to pull my arms from around him and hide them—take them away from the heat. It only got worse.

When it was safe—and safe was a matter of opinion in a place like that—he pulled the Switchblade to a stop and ordered me off of his bike.

"Take a good, long look, Everett."

"I-It's Zaria…" The second those words passed my lips, I regretted it. I closed my eyes and ducked, awaiting a punishment.

"I don't care," he laughed.

I slowly opened one eye, then the other. I uncurled my arms from my chest, making sure I was just out of his arm's reach. My skin began turning red with the heat, begging not to be boiled or melted.

"This is about as far into the Wastelands as you can go without your skin falling off."

"This is inhabitable! Get me the hell out of here!"

He turned around, grabbing my jaw in his hand. "You leave when I say you do."

My expression suddenly became worried, as did my mood. What… what was happening.

"Look around." He removed his hand, turning back around, scanning the area. "This is the _exact_ place I dragged my team to _burn_. They couldn't fly here-they weren't skilled like I was."

I hugged my arm, looking downward.

"I took every one of them down. Every. Last. One." I watched him as he stood there reminiscing, his eyes filled with an emotion similar to happiness. Happiness… over killing his own comrades? My deep respect for him grew… into a little something called fear.

"They burned here… This exact spot." He looked at me. "Those Storm Hawks never saw it coming. Even the dumb kids that replaced them are smarter!"

I frowned. He took down the original Storm Hawks?_ His own team?_

"So… you were a Sky Knight…"

"I was stupid," he growled. "I was never going to get anywhere with them and nothing good would ever come from the Storm Hawks or any of the other squadrons for that matter. I found something better and the world was better off without them anyway."

I clutched my sides. A sickening feeling overwhelmed me. He had no remorse! This man could snap my neck like a twig and eat lunch an hour later with no second thoughts! He killed off the original Storm Hawks… His own team…

"I don't want to be here anymore," I cried softly, turning toward the bike.

"Smart," he chuckled. "You sensed you weren't safe and chose to find a way out."

I cringed. Finn told me that's exactly what a Talon would do. They rather save their own skin.

I blinked first.

I let my arms fall to my sides. I turned around. "No… I'm not giving in now. I'm not like the other Talons. I'm not afraid of a little challenge." I faced the Talon. "I'm not _scared_ of a threat, no matter who threw it on the table! You don't scare me," I lied. I stepped up to the man, looking up into his red eyes. "You couldn't hurt me because the instant you see the pain in my eyes, the second you hear me cry out you'll back away like the coward you are.

"You couldn't stand the thought of me crying when you yelled! If you struck me just once… You'd turn right around and take everything back. You may not blink first, but the instant I cry… you're finished."

He narrowed his vision, scanning my eyes for any loophole, for any lie… A smile crawled on his face when he lacked the evidence to prove me wrong. "Let's go." He grabbed my arm and pulled me off toward his Switchblade.

At least I had _something_ against him…


	18. Close Call

_This chapter was the inspiration that created the new plot for the rewrite of __Forever on my Mind__. The name of the last chapter provoked the new name for that story,_ _Once a Hero__. Just thought I'd bring that up. Now, let's get on with it._

_Close Call_

_Kai_

It was hard to say what I was thinking when we stepped foot on Cyclonia. I had gone from knowing almost nothing about the battle going on beyond Atmosia, to being fully submerged in the world itself. Nothing was hidden from me. It… It seemed a little too forward, however. Everything was so upfront, yet the Storm Hawks couldn't just scope things out themselves?

Was… was it all a front?

We flew directly past the Condor. That's right, we flew right past if and Ace didn't even flinch. That was another problem that worried me. If he knew about the Condor being there, wouldn't he have attacked? Did it mean my cover was blown?

That was another factor leading me to believe it was a front. If my cover had already been blown, either by Elle or self-discovered by the Dark Ace himself, none of what I was learning was the truth. I took everything with a grain of salt—taking my findings back to Aerrow, if anything seemed odd I would know none of it was true.

Dark Ace put his arm around my back, clutching onto my arm, as he lead me around Cyclonia. Several weak-looking Talons were roaming around and it seemed like the further we walked down the bridges, the more Talons I discovered. In fact it seemed like there were more than enough Talons here to support battles for years to come, no matter how many deaths came up. Why were they still recruiting at the academy? Was that a front as well? Did the Talons in training even graduate? I sighed.

The head Talon dragged me around Cyclonia _all day_.

I learned _shit_.

They had their own crystals, ones that were mined from _their _mines. Of course, we had those crystals, too, but these were somehow different. I met a nice young Talon named Ben, who coincidentally acted as if he didn't want to be there. Not having the slightest second away from Dark Ace to even use the bathroom, I didn't have the opportunity to tell him he could escape from the hell of Cyclonia and join a Sky Knight Squadron.

I shook my head.

No matter how much I wanted to meet her, I learned Cyclonis was held up in a restricted area. No matter how safe I seemed, no matter how much of a Talon I had convinced them I was… I wasn't allowed to see Cyclonis. I finally gave up when I saw the sun beginning to set. I was tired, I was hungry, and I wanted to go home… wherever home was.

The wind picked up, but it didn't seem to get any colder. Cyclonia was sure a strange place—in the right conditions at the right time, red lightning would strike the skies with or without rain clouds, even though it looked like all of the surrounding clouds were going to burst out in pouring rain.

And the moment I was able to get away I bolted for the best view on Cyclonia—that wasn't restricted. I took a seat on a cliff, or the land's edge. I pulled my shoes off, moved my feet out from under me, and dangled them over the sudden disappearance of land, feeling the sudden clouds tickle my bare feet. I watched as a spectacular—seemingly unnatural—occurrence took place before me; red lightning struck the skies. As afraid as I was of thunder storms and lightning, this was somehow intriguing to watch.

And before I knew it, I was no longer alone.

"You don't have much longer until I have to take you back." Minutes of uneasy silence separated his next words. "I'm quite surprised, Zaria. You've surpassed my expectations…" The fact that he'd called me Zaria and not Everett was proof enough that he respected me more. "I'm sure… you'll graduate the Talon academy quickly."

"Is it worth it?" I asked. When he didn't respond, confused, I continued. "You said so yourself—the Academy won't teach me anything. I feel rather forced to stay in…" _I was forced to join, but that was a different story. _"What will the Academy teach me that I don't already know?"

He looked away. "Discipline. However, I think that's a lost cause in your place. Without proper documentation of graduation, you can't set foot on Cyclonia or carry the title of Talon."

Even if I was in the Academy with intent to become a talon, I would've lost sight of my original goal. "I guess I don't see the point of being in the academy anymore. You told me it wouldn't teach me anything truly useful…"

Seeing a flaw in the Cyclonian logic, he paused, thinking of a subject change. "What are you doing out here, anyway?"

I glanced over my shoulder, kicking my feet through the clouds. I looked back down at my feet and smiled. "I got bored listening to you brag."

Dark Ace growled. "I wasn't bragging, I was just—"

"Save it, pretty boy, you don't have to explain yourself to me. Bragging won't change my opinion about you."

"Which is…?" he asked curiously, taking a stand only a few feet behind me.

I hummed, glancing at my shoes. "You're definitely a shoot first, think later kind of person. You're definitely protective of your pride, and I don't mean for the reputation of your Talon squadron. You're very,_ ver_y egotistical. You can't stand to lose a battle, and losing to someone younger and supposedly weaker is worse than death in your eyes. Only just recently you'd lost your first battle, eh?" I laughed quietly. "To none other than Aerrow of the Storm Hawks."

"Who exactly told you that load of bull?" he muttered, taking a seat next to me on the cliff.

I wanted to mention that I got the information directly from the victor himself, however… "That isn't a factor in my opinion of you…," I smiled. "To me, no matter what you do from here, you're still an egotistical, vain, intolerable man with no remorse for _anything_ he does." Though when I had said _anything_ I had been exaggerating, I'd soon find that was nothing short of the honest-to-God truth.

"You're quite… judgmental for being so young… How old are you?"

_How old am I? _I tried to remember if anyone had asked, what I had told anyone, or even what I'd put on my application. Remembering the boys had said I looked twenty, I went off of that. "Twenty… one…," I said, unsure.

He narrowed his gaze, watching me closely. "Are you not sure?" he laughed.

I looked away. I had to be careful what I said and how I said it—he could read me perfectly. I shook my head. "Just uneasy." I quickly tried to read his appearance and clear my thoughts of suspicion. Though that was easily done, I was still curious about his past. What made him turn on his team?

What force would push anyone to betray their friends? Who would ever willingly travel into that hell-hole called the Wastelands?

"You're lying."

I sighed. "Look—"

"If there's something you want to ask, just do it already."

_Is that what he thought was wrong? Guess I'll have to think of something. Hm…_ Like the child I was, I asked him without thinking it over, "Have you ever been in love?" I smiled, continuing to kick my feet through the air.

His eyes widened. By that point, we both knew the question was inappropriate and struck a raw nerve.

"So you were…"

"I-I don't think this is an appropriate question," he stuttered.

"You told me to ask, so I did! Answer it and I won't bother you anymore—answer it and you can get me the hell out of your hair and back to the academy."

He sighed. Given a bargain he couldn't ignore, he made sure to keep his story short and sweet—and extremely vague. "When I was younger, yes. She left me, though."

I think I almost pitied him, considering my actions thereafter. "Have you ever loved again?" I asked, saddened.

"There wasn't much time between then and—"

"The betrayal?"

He nodded. "I don't have the opportunity nor the time for a relationship of any kind."

I smiled mischievously. "Ever used that to your advantage?"

"How so?"

"Ever thought to toy with emotions to get ahead?"

His expression fell flat. I could tell he'd taken the idea into consideration. However, he'd run into a bit of a road block: "You do know there aren't many fools left in this world, don't you? How many women would actually dare to travel the skies in this mess? If they're not already trapped in Cyclonia, they're grounded for fear of their own lives. I don't blame them—makes them an easier target in a takeover. I suppose… if you believe that it must make you a fool, yourself." His red eyes shifted toward me.

An uneasy wave filled the air once more. The light dimmed more with every passing moment.

"…How dark does this place get at night?"

"Absolutely no visibility without a lantern or other light source."

I cringed. "You should take me back, then, before it gets too dark."

"No," he demanded. "We're not leaving yet."

Afraid of what he had in mind, knowing he wanted me gone from square one, I inched away from him. Moving my hand in the wrong place, a rock gave way and I slipped. I knew exactly where I was going—over the edge and into the clouds. I closed my eyes and let out a held breath. I always knew my clumsiness would be my downfall…

Suddenly, Ace gripped my arm at the last moment. Struggling to keep a hold of me, he readjusted himself and stood on his knees and one hand. "Damn it, are you seriously that stupid? I have half a mind to let go of you and let you _die!_"

My eyes saddened as I looked away from my savior. "I-I'm sorry… I didn't… mean to…"

He sighed, using all of his strength to pull me back up. Once every inch of me was back on the land, I laid there unmoving. Afraid I would fall off again, I didn't want to stand without help. Dark Ace leaned back and laid down as well, gazing at the stars. In the last few moments of light, we laid there in silence.

I rolled over on my side toward him. "How are we going to get back?" I asked, noting the lack of lanterns, or any kind of light within reach.

Unable to see his movements, I went off of sound.

"We can't." For once I could actually be sure he was telling the truth. However, I couldn't read the motive behind it.

I reached out, searching for his face. Running my fingers over his features, I could tell the man was smiling. "Damn, the one time I'm paying attention I can't see your smile." His smile slowly faded and my mind grew blank. The silence was growing awkward and I knew I had to say something. "…So, we're stuck here until morning?" With my hand still nearby his head—though not entirely touching it anymore—I could feel him nod.

"It doesn't get cold here at night." He read my mind. He rolled over onto his back, less vulnerable now.

I sighed. I laid there for quite some time in silence, fading into a state of unconsciousness. Half awake and irrational, I decided to test my luck. "Why did you save me…?"

The man rolled back over onto his side. "It would look bad if a trainee disappeared on my watch. Even worse since you're a woman."

I closed my eyes, furrowing my brow. "…You're lying…"

Quiet, I could tell he was weighing the odds. "I… I don't know." His tone quickly changed to that pride-saving, egotistical demeanor. "I shouldn't have. You know _way_ too much about me…"

"Is that really such a bad thing?"

He rested his hand on the side of my face. I opened my eyes sharply as red lightning struck the skies. I could see a soft look in his eyes—the only time he'd ever let his guard down around me—but it was only for a split second that the lightning gave us light. "If I instinctively saved you, there must be some reason to keep you alive."

I almost felt bad that the reason was to seemingly betray him when rejoining the Storm Hawks. I owed him my life… I couldn't get out of that. What would I do…?


	19. What am I Doing?

_This will either be a short chapter, or an extremely busy one. I'm unsure yet._

_What am I Doing?_

_Dark Ace_

This was unusual… I've never been forced to work with a female student before. She was smart, too—compliant and _quiet_. I knew she'd do just fine at the academy. But her words got me thinking… If everything I had told her about the academy was true, did that mean everything she had argued in return was true?

I knew the academy was useless for tactical training. Everything you needed to know about being in the airspace would either come naturally or not at all. There were just some things that you couldn't teach. So if it was useless for tactics, did that throw the entire concept of the academy out the window? I knew boot camp would at least teach the students to listen, so it was at least useful for that purpose, but for anything else…?

Why I had decided to save the girl, I was truly unsure. I'd acted on a moment of impulse and followed my instincts which lead me to saving her. Maybe it _was_ selfish? Maybe I really didn't want her to die purely for fear of it putting a dent in my reputation… Or maybe it wasn't her time to go and some force had put it in my head to pull her back up?

Either way, there was no taking it back now.

The decision to stay there in the dark all night was partially because I was lazy and partly because I felt it was more beneficial for her to sleep on the ground than in the academy, and that was saying something.

I managed to get restful sleep. For once in my life, I wasn't going to bed worrying about what I would do tomorrow. I wasn't stressing about who would die next. I was content with laying in the dark _sleeping_. However, waking up was another story. My eyes shot open, scanning the back of the young Talon's head. I was surprised the girl hadn't woken up earlier—the dim sunlight had filled the air for quite some time now.

Quickly realizing the position I was in—not only having stayed _out_ all night with her, but the fact that I had leeched myself onto the girl, my arm lying over her stomach. I froze in my place. My mind told me to quickly rip myself off of her and run but I knew that would wake her up. I started small by moving my arm. Without sign that the girl had noticed, I inched away from her. No longer in contact, I shot up to my feet and backed away quickly. I let out a shaky breath and rubbed my face, yawning. My back ached from sleeping on such an unforgiving surface. Cyclonia's soil was made from a combination of compacted dirt, metals with odd properties, and soft clay—easy to dig through, not so easy to sustain life.

I looked over the cliff, noting some Patrol Talons were already taking their routes. I knew someone was looking for me by now. It wasn't surprising that no one had looked up here… it'd probably been at least a year since anyone had set foot anywhere near there.

Looking back toward the girl, I quietly whined, wondering what to do. This was the first predicament that I had been in that mixed both personal and business. I've never gotten close enough to a talon to have much of a conversation. The fact that she got any information out of me was astounding. Maybe it was because I felt sorry for her? No. She somehow broke through the wall I had tirelessly built and delved into my past.

The fact that I was stupid enough to mix personal with business, even if it was only for a moment, made me vulnerable. She now had an advantage over me. I bet she still had a foothold in the hole in that wall… Looking at her, my brows tugged together. Anxiety filled my chest. I turned and walked to the edge of the cliff, sitting down. I was careful—I wouldn't fall.

I closed my eyes and began to think. What next?


	20. The Next Step

_For anyone who adored my Acey in the last chapter, be sure to look for Once a Hero when I get that up and running. It might be a while, but know that Ace is the main guy._

_The Next Step_

_Kai_

This was by far the strangest night I'd ever had. I'd almost lost my life, saved by the last man I thought would ever find compassion; fell asleep in pitch black darkness, the most solemn feeling I'd ever experienced; woke up several times with a warm arm around me—there was no chance it was anyone else… I woke up with him gone. For once, I felt a cold breeze wing through the air of Cyclonia and I knew I was alone.

Though I felt unsafe with him around before, I knew I had made progress with him. His cold, reserved nature had been broken down, or at least fractured in a few places. The only thing that had me worried was, if someone he only knew for a few hours was able to break down his shield, what kind of threat was he to the Storm Hawks, honestly? Maybe I struck a raw nerve with him? Of course, other than the question about love… Maybe I reminded him of his old love? Looked like her? Acted like her?

I rolled over onto my back, staring at the dim, overcast skies. A foreign object caught my eye and I quickly sat up.

How… long had he been sitting there?

I rubbed my eyes, trying to bring myself into consciousness. For what it's worth, I wanted to sit with him—and I didn't want to fall again. I crawled over on my hands and knees, swinging my legs over the edge. Tripping was a definite possibility and I wanted eliminate every possible danger.

"I have to take you back." Something in his voice told me he was only saying it to try and make himself believe it, not to inform me.

"Can I wake up first?"

"No."

I quickly assumed this cut our week of training short. "So, you're giving up," I stated.

"I'm not giving up, I'm ending a potentially dangerous situation."

"Dangerous in what way? You're afraid that you'll make a friend? That you'll—"

"Get too close to a Talon who has no business sticking her nose where it doesn't belong."

I laughed for a moment at the contradictory information. "I did absolutely nothing wrong. I asked questions that you _didn't_ have to answer. You _chose_ to answer them."

"Which is why I'm taking you back. Now." He stood up, grabbing my arm. Profusely dragging me back down the hill toward the bridges, I didn't bother to struggle. I couldn't win this argument—he was an obvious master of excuses. If one didn't work, he'd use another. The second he ran out of excuses, he'd reword them.

I sighed. It was better to give up than pose an argument I knew I had no advantage in. However, his demeanor began to make me think it was my fault. Maybe it was my fault…

I closed my eyes. I was too sensitive. I clung onto things that weren't rightfully mine and the second they were ripped from under me, I cried. I was immature and I knew this had to change.

ooo

A silent ride forced more sadness into my heart. How would this sudden end fold out?

The wheels struck the ground, brakes were pulled, and the second we were stopped I bolted.

"Get back here!" he demanded.

I raised my hand, not bothering to turn around as I flipped him off. I wasn't sure if the resulting silence was a good thing. Sure enough, he'd turned on the anger and followed after me.

He gripped my shoulder and forced me to stop in my tracks.

"Tell me… you throw a fit, force me back here, and now you're having second thoughts?" I crossed my arms, turning around.

His eyes kept off of my own. I knew the _exact_ reason—he knew that weakness well and avoided giving in.

Without a response, I turned and left once more. This time, he was smart enough not to follow. I lowered my gaze and sighed. I decided I would blend in with one of the groups for the next few days. I wouldn't get hurt and The Dark Ace can keep his pride—no one would have to know he was scared.

Why I was doing him justice… I suppose it was the best I could do since he saved my life. Without a better opportunity to repay him, it was _all_ I could do.

ooo

Every morning I knew I would be waking up for another useless day of training. I didn't need this—didn't I have the information I needed already? Couldn't Finn, Elle, and I figure out an escape and _go?_ Maybe each day I hoped Ace would come back. Maybe… maybe I felt he owed it to me?

No. He didn't owe me anything—he saved my life. Did this make us even?

Elle flung herself off the bed, performing another one of her acrobatic displays as she landed on the ground. The bunks on either side of us had learned that this was her morning routine and had grown accustomed to it. We were either awake before she'd climbed down, or unfazed by it in the least. This morning, I waited for her to jump down—we had to talk.

"Elle… it's time to go."

Her gaze lowered and she sat down on my bed. Having not moved, she knew something was wrong. Still hidden under the covers, rolled on the side facing away from Elle… I'd say she was right. "Are we done here?"

I sat up, rolling the covers down. "Yeah… I guess we are."

"You sound sad. I thought you'd be happy to get to see Aerrow again."

"Don't get me wrong. I just feel like I owe it to—"

"Acey?" she laughed. "Look. He's not coming back. That guy has _never_ given up on a trainee before."

_That didn't entirely help, but thanks anyway, Elle._

"He must've had a damn good reason. Trust me, it's better if he doesn't come back, even if it means I can't see his cute little face again."

"Nothing cute about it," I half-lied. "Fine. I'll just get over it."

She hummed, standing on her knees. She propped her head up on my bed with her hand, smiling. "So," she smiled. "How are we going to do this?"

Once everything was planned out over breakfast, I had a break. Elle mentioned that the radio was off-limits today so I knew Finn and I were on our own. With only thirty minutes to spare by eating quickly, Finn and I rushed back to our bunkers to pack everything we needed. Whatever I brought for miscellaneous supplies I would have to leave. I packed a small rucksack and mapped out the armory in my head. I watched them hide away my precious Switchblade. I _knew_ where they kept my weapons. Getting them was the issue.

I pulled the Chroma crystal from my pocket and watched it glow. Surprisingly, the crystal seemed to have dimmed since we arrived. I wondered if that meant the Chroma crystal was losing power. On a last thought, I wondered if Elle would need any of her possessions. I knew I would feel bad after, but I reached over and pulled open that coveted drawer of hers in search of the cold crystal. In return, I'd found something much more interesting.

A picture of Elle and her family stapled to a note. Being polite, I decided not to read the note—however, with the picture attached, I knew it must mean something to the girl. I stuffed it into my bag and continued searching. Finding a crystal necklace, I grabbed that as well before taking the Frost crystal. I shoved the drawer closed and stood up slowly, saying goodbye to the wretched bunker. I wondered who they would find to clean the place now, after Elle came with us. With the sounding of a loud mechanical bell, I knew my opportunity to grab my friends and leave was over. Now… now we had to fight for our escape.

I threw the backpack under the bed, hidden from view, and followed my usual commute out to the training arena. This was the last day for special training—with all the chatter, I assumed students with inside information had got everyone talking.

Boy was I wrong.

Out on the bridge that hovered over the training arena stood Elle… in a not-so-proud position. Her hands bound behind her back, her eyes blindfolded, and what seemed like rope hanging from her neck in a not-so-flattering fashion.

My jaw dropped. Were we going to play prisoner… or was I in trouble?

Finn leached onto me the second he found me. "This… this doesn't look like a typical training exercise."

"Finn… Finn, give it a chance. These are _real_ Talons. Maybe they just want to play a game." I was unsure of my own words and the boy knew that.

Elle began shaking as heels clicked against the metal bridge. I could hear her whimpering as Ravess crawled ever closer. "Kai…" she called out. "Kai! Kai, run!"

This was no training exercise.

As the girl screamed and cried out for me louder and louder, Ravess was quick to push her off the bridge. She reached around her neck, scratching at the rope tied tightly to it as she fell down. Reaching the end of its slack, the rope drew taught, catching the young talon in its grasp.

Shrill screams and cries shot out from the dead girl's audience. Sheer terror, pure madness… This was just the beginning.

Finn instantly took charge, knowing my limbs wouldn't hold out much longer. He caught me as I began to fall to my knees, shaking in utter astonishment. They... they killed Elle… This was _no _training exercise.

"Let this be a lesson to the rest of you. Meddle with Cyclonia and you will _die. She is a traitor! _She isn't one of us… Kai." Ravess looked up from the swinging girl. She knew exactly who the blond had been referring to and her gaze shot _directly_ to me, hanging in Finn's arms. "I suggest you _run._"


	21. Locked Away

_My computer screwed up with the description (saying it was chapter 19), decided not to title the chapter (leaving it chapter 20) and pressed send several times before I was done. Forgive my piece of shit technology lol_

_Locked Away_

_Kai_

Everything happened so fast, I wasn't entirely sure if I could fight my way out of this. With sudden force from Finn to stand up on my own, Finn looked at me for the next move. My instincts told me to save the swinging girl but I knew it was already too late—from the looks of it, her neck had been broken. The only justice those damned Talons did was blindfold her.

I knew, somehow, from the moment she left after we planned that the Cyclonians had captured her and got her to confess. Ravess knew who I was, they knew who Finn was… We were screwed.

"Kai, run! I'll go get your things. Somehow, we'll make it out of here." Finn bolted in the opposite direction.

Instead of running, I remembered a 'plan B' that I had stored in my uniform's pocket. Pulling out an energy gun, I aimed it directly at Ravess. And before I could pull the trigger and fire, a familiar hand rested on my shoulder.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A charged blast sounded behind me. I knew there was a weapon and any wrong move I made would kill me.

I froze. I knew that voice… Turning around, I met the only reason I'd stayed at the academy any longer than I needed to.

"Turns out I shouldn't have saved you," Dark Ace shrugged. "But, hell, at least your life will make for an interesting game." He held a single energy blade up, shelved on his shoulder. "Let's take a little walk, since you're so fond of me."

_Finn_

"Get your hands off of me! Put me down, asshole!"

"Sit tight, princess, you'll be in here for a while."

"God, I swear, I will murder you next time I get the chance!"

"Murder... You know, I get that a lot."

_These voices..._

"You better hope that commander of yours protects your sorry ass 'cause you're dead!"

"His commander, huh? Well, I'm sure you wouldn't want to hurt _me_..."

"Not so tough now, huh, princess?"

_They're... so familiar..._

A loud, piercing scream could be heard, along with a dull thud on cement floor.

The room was so blurry... only faint, shadowed figures stood before me, one of them looked concerned and afraid, the other, proud and confident. One of them was definitely younger, and, surprisingly, the older one was the one that was cowering.

"Urghhh... what a head ache..." I rubbed my forehead, then my eyes. Somehow, between the time I ran, grabbed what little of her supplies I could, and bolted for my life, they got me.

"Oh, Finn. Good, you're awake. Now, princess, you'll have someone to keep you company," the younger one laughed.

"Don't call me princess!" I heard Kai shout back. It's all so confusing…

I knew the older one was Dark ace, the other must be a talon—then there's Kai, next to me in this barred-up cell.

The cave-like room was dimly lit by an oil lantern , giving me enough light to see Kai was bleeding badly in several places, very deep. If she didn't get her wounds cleaned soon, she could be at risk for a terrible infection, or worse, a fatal immune system attack.

"Well, you are a prisoner. You'll take whatever the hell we throw at you. Complain all you want, princess," with that, the young talon walked away.

"If you're going to keep us here, you should at least get us some water!" I demanded.

"Alright," he agreed, surprisingly.

I blinked. "Well, good. Get us some rags, too."

"How many?"

Okay, now it's sounding to be too good to be true. "...Four," I told him, still unsure of it all.

He nodded, then turned to leave.

"Okay, Finn, maybe you're not the only one who's insane," Kai's voice was shaking.

"Are you alright?" I slid over the broken and cracked cement, trying to help Kai off the ground. She winced in pain, and just as soon, I knew she couldn't stand up. "Hey, it's okay. Just take it easy, alright? They got you pretty bad."

"That's easy... for you to say. You made it out with barely a bruise."

"I know, that's what strikes me as strange. Why are they picking on you?"

"Take a guess," her voice was shaking even more, her face was red, and stray tears were falling down her face.

"Well," I breathed, "Don't worry about that now, just... try to relax. You're bleeding pretty bad."

She looked down, then around her arms and legs, bringing a hand up to feel the wound on her chin and forehead. Blood dripped down her hand and past her wrist almost the instant she touched her face. "Oh... shit."

"You have to keep your heart rate slow, or you'll bleed more," I told her. "Just try your best to keep calm until Dark Ace gets back with the water."

She closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. "How long do you think we'll be in here before they finish us off?"

"Don't think like that, okay?" I said, trying to make light of the terrible situation we're in. "Someone'll come and get us. They'll have to."

"You know...," she laughed, "Sometimes it takes a bit of shock to bring a man back to reality, and boy, was I thinking you were going to go insane in that academy. You seem fine now, though," she smiled.

"Well, yeah, imagine how I felt when my best friend got hurt..."

"Best… friend?" she glanced at me.

I laughed, leaning against the wall, closing my eyes. I reopened my eyes, seeing Dark Ace walk back in. His expression was grim, almost depressive. It was as if he didn't want to be here, doing what he's doing. So strange... Whatever managed to happen between the two of them during her short training with him must've put this awkwardness in the air.

He shoved an iron tray through the door, grinding against the ground with a few sparks as it slid to a stop. "Don't waste it," he sighed, walking away.

"What an asshole," Kai laughed, another tear rolling down her cheek.

There was a period of silence where neither of us said anything. I moved around a bit, trying to clean her wounds with what little water he did bring us. Even the rags were filthy, but it's better than what's already biting at her cuts and gashes.

"H-hey, Finn... I..."

"Huh?"

"...I can't... move my arm."

I laughed quietly, thought it probably was inappropriate for the situation. I looked around her left arm, then her right, but nothing was tying or pinching them down. "Does it feel numb?" I knew close to nothing about anything medical-related, but I knew I couldn't just sit there and do nothing like normal. Kai needed me. I didn't know how long it would be until help arrived and I refused to think we would die here. Kai's wounds needed to be cleaned and this was how I knew to do it.

"...Sort of, but it's not like it's asleep. It burns."

"Shoot, that's not good... Here, let me look at it." I'm still unsure as to which arm it is in the first place, though I'm sure she'll point it out.

She lifted her left arm, pointing out her right.

"Alright, hold still for a minute," I picked her arm up, holding it in my left hand. "Ah, found it. Take a deep breath...," I picked up the damp rag from the metal bowl, holding it carefully onto her wound. "The pain's overwhelming, huh?"

She nodded slowly.

"Don't worry. You'll be able to move your arm again by morning," I reassured her, unsure if it was the truth, myself. "Your body's just trying to center everything on healing the wounds, so it's probably hard to move anything."

"Morning...," she grumbled, drifting off with the searing pain.

"You'll be fine, Kai... I promise."

_I promise..._ _You're not going to die on me. Not while I'm still alive..._

_Kai_

Morning...

So, it's morning already?

Aughh... so much pain. How could he hurt me, anyways? Right… He didn't care in the first place. "Stupid...," I grumbled, reaching over to itch my arm, though something stopped me.

There was a clean, dull white bandage wrapped snuggly around my upper left arm, my left wrist, from my right shoulder to my right wrist, both my legs, and just about anywhere else that had been cut or ripped open. Each was only slightly soaked with blood in a few spots. Finn couldn't have done it. He wouldn't have done it. He didn't have the supplies...

Freaky.

"Awake already?"

"Huh? Oh... yeah...," I responded, not bothering to see who it was. I knew to be careful. I knew not to give anything away, no matter who it was.

"I hope you're feeling alright...," with that said, the man walked out.

Finn groaned, sitting up. He looked like he was half-dead, himself. "You up, Kai?" he groaned.

"Yep. I am now. Look," I stood up, trying to readjust the adhered bandages.

"Huh?" he winced in the dim light, looking at me. "Hey, at least you can stand, right?"

"Finn, that's not the point. Someone bandaged me up."

"You must've been out cold last night," he smiled, struggling to stand up.

I nodded.

"We have to get out of here, Kai..."

I held out my hand, helping him up. "Of course we do."

"No, I mean, we have to get out of here, now. I can't live like this."

"We can't, but we'll have to. It's not like we can just _run_!" I sighed. "Finn, here," I held my arms out.

"What?"

"Give me a hug."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Look, we both need a hug. _Trust me_," I pulled him close to me, though he was reluctant. This better work... "_Finn, I need you to listen closely, okay?_" I whispered.

"Kai, I—"

"_They're going to let us out of here. You boys at the academy learned how to watch after prisoners, right? Well... they had to have let prisoners out at some point..._"

"For like... two seconds," he tried to back away, but there was no way I'd get another chance to tell him what I thought was really going on, and how the hell we're actually going to escape from all this.

"_That's our chance. We'll take down who we can, and I know a few of Dark Ace's key weaknesses, so we'll get our chance that way,_" with that, I pushed him back, walking up to the bars. Someone was close by, they had to be.

"Hey, Dark Ace! If you know what's good for you, you'll get your ass in here!" I yelled.

Within a split second, he walked in. His armor was in pristine condition, along with the weapon sheathed on his back. "What do you want?" his tone was droll and serious.

"I'm sure you know the rules of incarceration. You have to let your prisoners get some sun. After all, if you don't, they'll die before you've finished making them suffer," a devious smile appeared on my face.

"Let you out? Aw, but you'll kick one of my teammates off the cliff...," I missed seeing him smile, and I had to admit that.

"That's not the point, stupid," I sighed. "Now, do you really want to see me get any paler?" I pointed out my light complexion, trying to hit _some_ raw nerve with him If he ever did have feelings for me, at any time. I'll find something. I'll hit some kind of nerve.

"...I'll let you two out, but I'm not letting you out of my sight."

"Oh, I've been through hell worse than this, _Dark Ace_, and you know that all too well. Now get your head out of your ass and unlock the door."

He quickly rolled his eyes, walking over to the bars. I saw Finn back up, tripping over the metal bowls that had sat there overnight. The rags he'd used to clean my wounds were just barely beginning to change color, and the bacteria in the water was reacting with the metal in the bowls, giving of a metallic smell.

The gate-like door was stubborn to open, but the screeching metal sound told me he finally managed to make it give way. "You know me, Dark Ace. I won't run," I said as I gracefully. "I'm not afraid of you." And as if nothing were wrong, I walked out the door.

"Oh, you're not the one I'm worried about," he said, almost laughing. His gaze never left me, though, even when he was binding Finn's wrists. Everything about this capture was off. Finn, of course, was taking it all as expected, if not better, but Dark Ace was acting very strange.

I only saw Ravess and Snipe for a split second before that damned talon tossed me in the jail cell, and that's what scared me the most. Snipe knew he could do just about anything he wanted as long as I was in his grasp. And as long as I'm here, I'm in his grasp. All that is going to change the _instant_ I got the chance.

I knew Dark Ace had some kind of grudge against me. He locked me up in a dark room for hours, trying to beat information out of me. I was smarter than that. I knew almost nothing about anything he wanted to hear—Storm Hawks battle tactics, their next few mission points… Aerrow was careful not to give me any of that information.

"Kai, don't say anything! I don't want you getting any more cuts or bruises," Finn warned.

"I can handle myself, Finn."

He grumbled something completely unintelligible, though Dark Ace said something back. I knew it had sunned Finn, or had scared him badly enough to keep him quiet the entire time I kept them walking. The journey wasn't pointless, however. I was looking for something, or rather, someone.

Somewhere along the way, I'd lost Finn and Dark Ace, though that didn't matter. They didn't have to worry about me _running_ this time. They should be more worried about how I could _possibly_ undermine everything they're doing. I had to look happy. I had to look like I was keeping myself entertained, and I had to do anything to make them think they weren't making me suffer. I had to _enjoy_ myself here. I had to do anything to screw with their heads.

"Hey...," I smiled, finally finding the one person I needed to talk to. "I need to ask a favor of you, Snipe."

"Oh, really? Well, I have one, too. Would you mind getting _back_ in your cell?!" The large man charged toward me but I leaned away as he lurched his hand toward me.

"You shouldn't be asking me. Go ask Dark Ace. He's the one who let us out, silly," I smiled. This was more entertaining than I'd previously thought.

"I'll have to," He grumbled.

"Now, about my favor...," I smiled. "Do you have a radio?"

"A radio? What do you mean 'a radio'?" Snipe asked.

"You know... transmissions come through, calls go out... blah, blah, blah...," I waved my hands through the air.

"Of course we have one of those, stupid girl. It's not like I'm going to let _you_ use it, though," he chuckled.

"Hey, I don't want to _use_ it, I was just going to see if yours was better than the one I've got," which was a flat out lie.

"You sure are a strange one...," he grumbled, taking my hand. He dragged me around for a good three or four minutes before we reached what looked like the communications and resources room.

Four iron, crystal-powered CB radios were scattered across the room, at least two of them being used for parts. Two young talons were controlling just about every piece of equipment in there, then another much older talon was fixing a few of the weapons that were sitting nearby.

"I'm sorry...," I walked up to the mechanic. "You're doing that all wrong. All wrong, all wrong, all wrong," I took the weapon from him.

"I'm sorry, but _you're_ not the one getting paid to fix them!" he took it back, his expression aggravated and unforgiving.

"Look, if she says she knows better, let her have a go at it!" Snipe took the weapon back, shoving it my way. "The second I find out you're ruining our weapons, you're dead. And don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're a woman!" the large man pushed his way over to one of the radios, sitting in a nearby chair.

I tore open the weapon, tossing aside the metal 'scraps.' It looked like a crystal had shattered in the system, leaving shards stuck in every possible place, probably causing the weapon to malfunction. "Clean it out, and screw the metal plates back on, get a new crystal, and it'll be back up to par," I tossed it back to him, walking over to the radio. I sat on the desk-like counter, kicking my bandaged legs though the air.

I smiled, looking around the room. "You know, for a bunch of guys living down here, it's pretty clean. I'd expect bunch of dirty laundry thrown in random places and God-knows-what lying everywhere else... either that or a bunch of rotting corpses."

"Flattery wont lessen your sentence, girl."

I clenched my fists. I swear, the next one that calls me 'girl' is going to get it. I think, actually, that 'princess' gets on my nerves just as much! Lovely...

"That wasn't a compliment, dipshit," I growled, readjusting my position on the counter so I was almost facing him, my legs pinned against the side of his chair. "But, that's beside the point!" I smiled once more. "Move, I want to see the radio," I jumped off the counter, trying to, though unsuccessfully, push him out of the chair.

He gave me a meaningful glare before standing up, walking around the chair. "I swear, you touch—"

"Calm down, silly," I smiled, "I won't break your precious radio."

Now, I have four seconds to think about this. The radio has a fixed frequency as to how it receives transmissions, correct? So, I can change the outgoing frequency to... to the Condor's frequency! I sighed, trying to think of the numbers Finn told Elle.

"What's this thing do?" if I was going to do this, I better play dumb. The large knob in the center was the easiest thing to mistake, _yeah right_, but I better make that as convincing as possible. My tone was unmistakable, convincing enough, and the look on Snipe's face was priceless.

I twisted and turned the knob in the right directions, changing it directly to the Condor's exact frequency, and seeing Snipe's unchanged expression told me he _thought_ I was just fumbling around.

"D-d-don't touch that!" he demanded, not bothering to change it back. "It's one of the most important parts of the entire radio..."

Good. He thought I was a total retard.

"Ahh... so, I'm guessing this is the receiver, then? Or... microphone... whatever the hell you call it," I picked up the corded handset, pressing the button a few times. "Helloo, hello, one, two, three," I laughed, holding the button down.

I was going to make sure Stork, or Piper, or anyone on the ship heard me, and make sure Snipe had no idea. I couldn't screw this up, or I'd be in deep shit in a matter of seconds.

Even better, the volume control was closest to my left hand, and with a subtle movement, I could make sure no one, not even me, heard their replies, if anyone _does_ reply.

"Hey, don't do that!" he reached out, trying to take the handset from me, but I leaned back, pulling it out of his reach.

"What's your damage, Snipe? I'm just having some fun. It's not like anyone important can hear me, anyways...," I shrugged. "Hey, uh... we've got two prisoners from the Storm Hawks squadron down in an underground 'lair'," I laughed.

"Hey, I said don't do that!" he reached over again, but I kept it from his grasp, spinning the chair around.

"Well, I'm not done yet!" I whispered, releasing the button. I pressed it down once more, speaking again, "They're being quite uncooperative, can you send in reinforcements?"

"You bitch, give me that!" he forcibly spun the chair around, taking the microphone from my hand. He hung it back up before looking at me. His stare was piercing, and it burned, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, sending chills through my spine.

For a moment, everything was fine. Then, suddenly, Snipe brought his hand across the right side of my face quickly, leaving a large red mark as the blood rushed to the injured surface.

And that's when all hell broke loose.

Dark Ace had seen the whole thing; or part of it, at least.

The second I'd looked over, the worst possible expression sat on his face. It was as if someone' had ripped his heart out, smashed it to pieces, and yet he was still alive to feel all the pain.

Of course, I was too busy coddling my wound to notice everything that was going on around me. I know that Ace barged in one way or another, pinned Snipe to the ground, and yelled. _Really _loud.

Then, the audio kicked in.

"Why the _hell_ did you hit her?!"

"I had no choice! She was refusing to cooperate!"

"That gives you no right to hit _her_!"

The entire control room was up in flames. Ace had pinned Snipe to the ground, the three talons had run off somewhere, and I was still sitting in the chair. Though, I pulled my legs up, crossing them, making sure not to get caught up in the fight.

I wasn't going to run. This was just getting interesting.

After all, he was making my plan all the more easy. With the Storm Hawks _hopefully_ on their way, Ace tearing down the chief, and Finn hopefully taking out some of the reinforcements (wherever the hell he went to) life just got ten times easier.

"L-look, Ace, I meant nothing by it!" by now, Snipe was fearing for his life.

"You _hit _her!"

"Hey, look at it this way. If it were any other girl, you wouldn't be doing this, correct? After all, if I'm not mistaken, this is the one you were forced to train with, right? Did something happen between you two I should know about?" Snipe jeered, laughing. And, of course, the smart-ass comments find their way in.

"You bastard! Shut up, or it means your life!"

"You'd like to kill me, wouldn't you?" his smile was evil.

"You know damn well I've never shown restraint in my _life_!"

"Then this'd be the first for you, now wouldn't it?" now, he was laughing.

"Ace...," I breathed.

Finally. He's back. Whatever _did_ happen to him, whatever strange thing got into his mind, Dark Ace rose to reality. "What?!" he yelled, hearing me. His head jerked in my direction, his stare glazed over and confused.

Now, even I was scared of him.

For a moment, he looked down, still holding Snipe down. Nothing was said, only the quick, faint breathing from Snipe and myself. Soon enough, Ace stood up straight, and stormed out of the room. "Oh, shit!" I heard him groan, followed by a loud thump. "Don't even think about moving, Storm Hawk! I told you not to move, damn it!"

Hell was beginning to look like peace and quiet compared to this.


	22. Last Chance

_Last Chance_

_Finn_

"Now, if you don't mind, I think I should get you back inside," Dark Ace walked over to me.

"I think I'll stay out here."

"That wasn't a suggestion," he growled, dragging me back through the cave. "Sit down, shut up, and stay here while I look for Kai," he shoved me to the ground, nearby a few wooden crates, a couple Striker crystals, and a two handed long blade, which was vaguely familiar to the one Dark Ace uses.

"Just keep your hands off her!" I shouted, watching him walk away. "Damn it, I think I'm bleeding," I grumbled.

Talons passed by, nonchalantly glancing at me, as if nothing were wrong.

"Shut up," I whispered. "You don't deserve to talk about me..."

I have to get up. I can't just sit here... Plus, the rocks are digging into my back, and my wrists are chaffing from this rope. The weapon and crystals to my left caught my eye, drawing the most of my attention to them. "Hmmm..."

If... If I could make my way over to them, I could slide one of my hands out and use the weapon to take down anyone who gets in my way... Gahh, it's so far-fetched... but it has to work. I can't stand being in that cell again. Not again...

I positioned myself so I could quickly inch over to the weapon and crystals, though I still have one problem. The rope only gives me enough slack to _barely_ move my wrists. I'd be lucky if I could get my wrist out at all... Just inches away from the weapon, I decided to stop and work on getting one of my hands free. I pulled my left hand to the side, keeping the rope still as I began to wriggle my right hand out of its grasp.

Luckily, I got it out. My right hand was free, and the left didn't matter. I could cut the rope off later, or untie it when we're out of this place. I turned to my left, picking up one of the crystals and the weapon. "It's perfect...," I smiled, jarring the crystal in place. I powered up the crystal, waving the weapon around in front of me.

I heard a couple of voices a slight distance away, one was a very familiar feminine voice, and the other was definitely Snipe. I couldn't distinctly tell if the female was Raves or Kai. They _were_ arguing, though the female seemed to be having fun with whatever was going on.

I sighed, steadying my hand against the wall as I stood up. Quickly, my eyes were drawn to a tall figure walking across the hallway in front of me. It was Dark Ace for sure, but he didn't even see me. Thank God. He looked like he was heading towards the same voices I'd heard.

Hmm... "Kai...," I whispered. Time to do some damage.

Two talons were running my way, firing up their weapons. "Hey, you!" one yelled.

_I can't kill them..._

I took a stance, firing up my weapon as well. They were going to fight to the death if that's what it took to stop me.

_I can't kill them..._

"What seems to be the problem?" I smiled.

"You are," the other laughed, then charged after me.

I was able to stave him off with the energy blade just long enough to think up a battle strategy. _I don't have to kill them... But, if I can keep them out cold long enough to run... _"Hold still!" I demanded, bringing my blade back down to my side. In a split second, I charged back at both of them, able to sweep the weapon across the side of one of their heads. He instantly fell to the ground; worst of it all, I saw blood.

_No... not blood…_

"Damn it, Storm Hawk!" the living one screeched.

Before he had the second chance to flinch, I did the same exact thing to him, bringing the weapon across the side of his head, and he fell to the ground, toppling over the other.

More blood.

They... were dead. There was no doubt I had killed them. _That wasn't the plan, Finn! Damn it, you were supposed to keep them alive... _I froze in my tracks, looking at the crime scene around me. _I… I killed them…_

"Oh shit!" Dark Ace ran out, looking in every direction before charging at me. He pinned me against the wall.

He seemed frazzled about a previous event I had just completely missed. Then again, I was still too peeved about _murdering_ two guys that are still sitting _just over there_! His gaze was glazed over, his mind probably buzzing.

"Don't even think about moving, Storm Hawk! I told you not to move, damn it!" he yelled. "_Look, just stay quiet_," he whispered.

"But—"

"_Keep quiet, damn it!_"

Kai ran out of the room Dark Ace seemed to have come from, Snipe following close behind her.

"Finn!" Kai breathed, relieved, yet scared for both our lives. "Ace, put him down! He's not worth it."

"_Be quiet, now_...," he whispered again, then quickly looked over his shoulder. "He escaped, and so did she!"

"But—"

"_Shhh,_" he turned his head back towards me, pushing my shoulders back against the wall even harder. "I don't know how the hell they got out, but they did." He paused, staring into my eyes. "_I don't know what the hell happened, but your little _friends _are on their way."_

But... how? How did they know to come _here?_

Quickly, Kai rushed back into the room behind her.

Snipe stormed over to us, looming over Aces shoulder. "You don't know how much trouble you're in, boy."

I smiled. "I was just about to say the same exact thing to _you_." I'm just going on a hunch here, but I'd say Ace was telling the truth.

"Everyone stand still!" Kai yelled.

I looked over the two figures, seeing Kai point some very strange... energy gun-type thing in our direction. I could see it was wielding a Firebolt crystal through the missing metal plating. Something was wrong, though. The weapon wasn't working as it should. The trigger was jammed and the gears were stopped. She was pulling a bluff!

My inner voice couldn't help but laugh and it was even tougher not to do it aloud.

"Don't move, or I'll kill you both!" her smile was back, but I knew it was all because she had control of the situation now.

"You're lying, girl," Snipe chuckled, turning from me to look at her.

"Really, now? Would I put my life in danger like this on a lie?" Which was, of course, a yes.

Hopefully they were dumb enough to fall for it.

"Don't shoot, Kai," Dark Ace warned, turning around.

"Oh, I'll shoot unless you two cooperate!" she gave me a quick nod and I ran off, trying to find the weapon I'd dropped.

This was good. The Dark Ace had just created the biggest disaster we could possibly ask for, and it's just what we needed.

"Don't shoot, Kai!" he shouted again.

"I'll shoot if that's what it'll take to clear your sorry ass off the face of Atmos!"

Okay, now I was beginning to doubt the sanity of the situation.

Dark Ace backed up, bumping into me slightly. Moments later, I heard a loud crash and a bunch of shooting.

My team... _Our_ team. We're safe.

"Go!" Kai shouted. "Damn it, Finn, run!"

It'd be my last chance to, but what about Kai? She'd be stuck to battle it out on her own. I can't do that to her...

"One...," I whispered.

"Don't do it, kid," Snipe growled, still trying to convince Kai not to shoot.

"Two..."

"Put the gun down, Kai," Dark Ace sighed.

"Three!" I shouted.

Dark Ace ducked, giving me the perfect shot. I clicked the energy blade's trigger, but something was wrong. As the blade hit Snipe's neck, the crystal didn't charge and it only temporarily thwarted him.

"Kai, shoot!" there wasn't much time before Snipe would regain his balance, and by the looks of Kai's malfunctioning gun... Yeah, we're screwed.

"I can't, the gun doesn't—"

"Just shoot!"

She shot me a worried look, and then aimed for Snipe. I fell to the floor in an attempt to save myself, though I stumbled on Dark Ace.

A second later, along with the continuous battle going on out front, I heard a loud _pop_ and an electrical buzz, then Snipe fell to the ground.

Oh, God. More blood.

"Finn, run!" I heard Kai say faintly. "Finn? Finn!" Kai shouted, shaking me out of my sickening daze.

"Huh? Oh... He-he's dead," I breathed.

"Yes, he's dead," she rolled her eyes. "I was playing roulette there with that broken gun. Now, run!" Kai grabbed my arm, pulling me up to my feet. With Dark Ace stunned by the death of his comrade, Kai and I were free to run… so long as he didn't come after us.

_Kai_

Bodies were everywhere. Dead talons, mechanics, and just about everyone else... Ravess escaped, along with Ace. I thought the point-blank shot had killed Snipe, but it turns out the gun really had malfunctioned. Feeling a bit embarrassed about the situation, Finn and I let him leave.

"Don't worry about cleaning up, Finn" I shouted back, hoping Finn hadn't fallen too far behind.

Ace had escaped, along with Ravess. Snipe turned out to have lived from the point-blank shot, but we let him leave as well.

"Kai! Oh, thank God, you're still alive!" it was Aerrow, and boy did he look ecstatic to see me alive. "Where's Finn?" he asked, embracing me.

"Back there somewhere. He shouldn't be long." I could hear quiet footsteps behind me, which threw Aerrow into a state of fury.

"How the _hell_ could you let _this_ happen to her?!"

Finn backed up, but I stopped Aerrow from beating the boy into a pulp. "Aerrow…"

"Kai, You--"

"Aerrow, thanks," I smiled.

"No, listen to me. You were right, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have sent you down there. It was too dangerous, and look what happened to you?"

"No...," I sighed. "I learned a lot, really. This… this was the best opportunity I had. A crash course. I learned so much in that short amount of time… Don't blame Finn, it was no one's fault this happened."

Aerrow paused for a moment before giving me a soft smile. I saw Finn make his way around us, darting toward the Condor.

"So… what about Elle?" the red head looked around me, hoping the blond would emerge from the bloody mess.

I looked down, hugging a bandaged arm.

Aerrow sighed. "At least she's free from the Academy, now."

"Just… not in the way any of us hoped," I added.

Aerrow reached out for me once more, holding me close. "I'm just glad you're alive…"


	23. Tests

_Tests_

_Aerrow_

I wasn't allowed to do anything. Kai made me promise not to bother her about what happened for what was left of that day. Finn, of course, I had to talk to.

"Finn…," I sang down the halls. With no luck, I peered into Piper's lab. "Kai, will you go find Finn for me," I smiled.

She raised her uninjured brow, placing a hand on her hip. "You're going to kill him, huh?"

I just stood there, smiling.

Kai sighed. "He's with Stork. He said it'd be the last place you'd look!"

I smiled again. "Thanks!"

_Kai_

I shook my head, watching Aerrow rush off toward the doomed boy. I walked over to an unoccupied counter and lifted myself up onto it, watching Piper as she worked.

"You know that was a fatal mistake, right?" Piper chided.

I shrugged. "I don't know these things… I'm still new," I winked. Finn would get whatever Aerrow threw at him no matter if I intervened or not. That much I knew about Aerrow.

Piper shook her head, returning to examine the once unstable Chroma crystal. "What I don't understand is how its effects stayed with you." She removed the crystal from its stand and held it out for me. "Do me a favor?"

I nodded, taking the crystal. What I didn't expect was another transformation. Piper examined my new figure closely, taking each change down into a notebook. "It's still highly unstable, though less now than before." Piper walked away and I tried to shove the crystal back in her direction but she paid no mind. Returning with another crystal, she instructed me to hold that one as well.

"What're you doing?" I asked, then noticed I began to lift up from the counter. I was _floating_.

"Testing a theory." Hearing noise from the bridge, Piper walked toward the door, leaning against the doorway. Muttering a few words to herself, she waited for whatever she suspected was coming. Suddenly, the noise grew louder and I could discern what it was. Finn was racing down the halls away from an imminent threat. Whether it was Stork or Aerrow, I assumed the latter. As the blond quickly passed our room, Piper called out. "Finn! Finn, come here."

The boy reacted as if she was saving his life, hiding under the desk I was 'sitting' on. I set the odd floating crystal on the desk.

"Please, don't make me go back out there."

Piper laughed. "Then help us out. Do you have any crystals stashed anywhere? I'm doing a test on Kai."

I leaned over, waving to the boy from above the desk.

As he tried to stand up, Finn hit his head on the desk. I laughed quietly, watching him make a successful second attempt to stand up straight. "Nice…," he smiled. "Back to the Cyclonian look, eh?"

I was quick to assume that the Chroma crystal had taken me back to the disguised we'd used for the academy. I shrugged, sighing.

"Finn, do you or do you not have any crystals on the ship?"

I noted the boy was still wearing the Talon Academy uniform as he began furiously searching through the pockets. "I have… this…," he pulled out an odd-looking necklace, a crumbled up piece of paper, "and… this. I think Kai might want the first two," he laughed.

Piper snatched up a familiar looking crystal, rushing to a microscope of sorts. From there, Finn picked back up the paper and necklace, handing them to me. "Kai… I know it was horrifying, but I thought you might like to keep these. They were on the top of your supply bag. It… it was all I could grab in time."

I took the strange objects from him, examining them both. I dangled the necklace in front of me, setting the Chroma crystal aside. Finn shielded himself from the release of crystal energy. "It's… it's the necklace I found in Elle's drawer." Which immediately meant the paper was the picture with the note attached that I had found.

Knowing Elle was gone, I contemplated the appropriateness of reading the letter.

I set the letter and necklace aside, pushing myself off the counter. I threw my arms around Finn, trying to keep back tears. "Thanks, Finn…" I closed my eyes, remembering the girl. It was traumatizing, watching them murder her in front of me, that much was clear. But why was I crying? Shear trauma, or the loss of a friend? I hadn't known her that long…

I opened my eyes slowly, looking at the ground. Spotting a pair of shoes that weren't there before, I followed them upward, finding a red head with his arms crossed in the doorway. I quickly removed myself from Finn, walking around to greet him. I sniffed in, rubbing an eye. "Hey...," I smiled.

"What's going on?" he asked cheerfully, seeing the experiment was at a bit of a standstill.

"Nothing," I shook my head. "Finn… brought me some precious items I thought I'd left at the academy."

Piper grabbed my shoulder, pulling me back onto the desk. She lodged the Chroma crystal in my hand, the boys standing by watching, as well as the crystal Finn had given her. "No change with the Levitation crystal, correct?" she asked me.

"Uh… that one?" I looked at the crystal she'd handed me before. "Not unless _levitation_ is considered a change."

She shook her head.

I noted Finn and Aerrow looked a little confused. Upon looking upward, Piper carried the same expression. "What?" I asked, looking at the three of them.

Stepping back from me, Piper held her hands up defensively. "Kai… put down the Frost crystal," she instructed quietly.

"Why? Whats wrong?!"

"Just put down… the Frost crystal," Aerrow agreed.

I quickly abandoned the cold crystal, watching their expression become relieved. "What the hell just happened?" I asked quickly.

Piper sighed, taking the Frost crystal. "Listen to me, Finn. Never, ever, _ever_ combine a Chroma crystal and a Frost crystal. You hear me?"

Still stunned, Finn nodded.

"I may regret telling you that later, but it's worth a shot."

Aerrow laughed.

"Will someone please tell me what just happened?!" I asked again.

Aerrow stepped over to me, resting a hand on the desk. "It's fine now."

"I rather not explain it to you. Let's just say it's rather frightening, even if you have no idea what the process it." Piper pointed to Aerrow and Finn. "Scared, yes. Knowledgeable, no. I'm unsure if it was the instability of the Chroma crystal that caused it, or if any Chroma crystal would do. Finn, did yours survive?"

He shook his head. "No, it disappeared…"

Piper nodded. "Kai, how much do you know about crystals?"

I thought for a moment. "Not much. We used Frost crystals, Cooking crystals, Fuel crystals… the basics. Nothing intricate like the Chroma crystals." I didn't understand what went wrong. When Elle had used the Frost crystal on my face, nothing bad happened, right? So what went wrong this time?

"Look at it this way—now that you're a Storm Hawk, you'll learn a lot more about crystals in a _very_ short amount of time. One, for battle. Two, for rescue. Three, to prevent Finn from using any dangerous crystals."

Finn laughed nervously.

I handed the Chroma crystal back to Piper. After concealing the unstable crystal, Piper said she would re-examine me one last time for any changes the unstable crystal would've left behind.

Finn's jaw dropped. "Kai… Kai, you're going to die."

My eyes went wide.

Aerrow smacked the back of Finn's head. "That's not even funny."

I looked from Finn to Piper, then back at Finn. "He's kidding right?"

Piper sighed.

"Someone say right!"

"Yes, he's kidding."

My gaze shot to Finn.

Aerrow patted Finn's back. "I suggest you run."

I looked away, my gaze lowered.

"That's not really the best thing to say…," Finn told Aerrow.

I sighed. "He's right, though. You better run." I quickly pushed myself off of the desk and bolted after Finn, who took the hint and got a head start.

"Boys…," I heard Piper sigh as I left.

I laughed at the inference, continuing at my top speed after Finn.


	24. Broken Spirit

_Broken Spirit_

_Kai_

I sat by my desk, the room illuminated by my dim lamp. It had been one hell of a day and I wasn't sure if anything would ever match up to the terror. I knew being a part of this team would have its ups and downs, but I don't think I ever quite expected all of the initial trauma. I assumed I would grow numb to the sight of murder. I assumed hurting someone without remorse would be something I'd have to grow used to—after all, an ex-Storm Hawk lacked remorse, so why couldn't I?

I held onto an old, ragged teddy bear (one I knew better than to take with me to the academy), crying softly into his fur. I was lucky the post-traumatic stress didn't cause blindness or the inability to speak. I closed my eyes and saw the blank, lifeless face of Elle, swinging back and forth. I gasped, my eyes shooting open.

"It's… only an illusion," I reassured myself, laughing nervously. I couldn't sleep, no matter how late it got. If I didn't see Elle behind my closed eyes, I saw a monster—one I could become, just like Dark Ace had. The burning question about the Chroma-Frost crystal combination continued to pester me.

So much was weighing on my shoulders that I was quick to question if it would become permanent insomnia. I lifted my eyes from my bear's fur, glancing around the dark room.

_Knock knock. _"…Kai…?" came a soft voice from behind me.

Yelping, I jumped from my chair, startled. Teddy bear in-hand, I was ready to attack.

Taking a step back, Aerrow looked quite worried. "You've… been crying… Is everything okay?"

I shook my head stepping backward. I sat down on my bed, hugging both my bear and my knees to my chest. "I'm afraid, Aerrow…"

Quietly—and carefully—Aerrow stepped through my room, taking a seat next to me. "You never told me what happened today."

"I've been trying to forget, myself."

"Hmm…"

I leaned over, resting my head on his shoulder. "Don't make me do that again…"

He laughed quietly. "I promise. You'll never have to go to the academy again."

"No," I corrected, "…Don't make me fight the Dark Ace again…"

He paused for a moment, wondering the reasoning behind it. Quietly, he responded, "…I promise, Kai. Never again."

I scooted backward, turning to lay down on my pillows. "How long do you think it'll be until I'm all healed?"

He glanced over his shoulder, sending me a soft smile. "You seemed fine when you chased Finn for an hour."

I rolled on my side, facing the wall. "Blame it on adrenaline."

"Well…" He rested a hand on my shoulder. "Kai… when you're ready to tell me what happened at the academy, I'll be ready to listen." Standing up, he headed toward the door.

As he grasped the door handle, I spoke up. "I screwed up."

Everything froze. The silence in the air was chilling as Aerrow came up with a million ways I could've screwed up.

"I had the best opportunity. I got to work with _the_ Dark Ace himself," I laughed at myself. "And I screwed it up. I got too emotionally involved and he cut the training short. That… pretty much kicked off a downward spiral. From then on I got into more trouble. More cleaning, more cooking…"

The door handle clicked as Aerrow released it.

"The one person I trusted with our secret… the _one_ person… I couldn't trust her. Aerrow… they hung her in front of me. They kicked her off a bridge and I watched her _die._" Even my teddy bear couldn't help hold back the tears anymore.

"They locked me up and _beat _me. They thought I had something to tell them and they were absolutely convinced I would say something if they continued to torture me. I know _nothing _about your… your tactics, your combat styles, your crystal supplies, your travel routes… That's all they wanted. They wanted to know if I was close enough to "that pretty-boy, red-headed Aerrow" to know his weaknesses.

"I knew nothing and they beat me until I couldn't even tell my left from my right. You want to know what I learned from the academy?" I rolled over, sitting up. "Aerrow, the only thing I learned at the academy is that the Dark Ace can't stand to see me cry. There were no fancy flying acts, no secret combat tricks…"

I closed my eyes. "All I saw down there was a bunch of kids forced into an academy that they don't even want to be in."

"Kai…"

"And all I want to do is sleep but I can't because every time I close my eyes I see the face of a girl that didn't have to die! She died because of _me_…"

Aerrow stepped forward, sitting down beside me once more. He wrapped his arms around me and spoke quietly, "I'm so sorry, Kai…"

"Please… don't leave…"

"I'm not going anywhere."


	25. Vacation

_Vacation_

_Kai_

Waking up next to Aerrow was one of the greatest feelings I've felt in quite some time. I felt safe, I felt loved… But I was also afraid. I knew this wasn't right—Aerrow was only feeling regret. He was just righting a wrong. I couldn't be sure if it was because he cared. After all, how could he? There was no emotional attachment… We were teammates—not even close friends. I'd only known him a few days face to face, and that's not counting the days we were apart.

I looked around, seeing a blue furball lying above Aerrow's head. Had… Aerrow let him in? I reached up and scratched at his fur, feeling his slowly wake up to stretch out his limbs. When they came to rest, a paw laid softly on Aerrow's eye—and the boy noticed.

"Are you awake?" he muttered, reaching up to pet Radarr as well.

I groaned, rolling onto my back. For a small cot, my bed had a lot of room for two people. I laughed, knowing I probably shouldn't ever say that out loud. "I was hoping I wouldn't ever wake up."

"You seemed content while you were asleep, even when you started talking."

My eyes grew wide. "I… don't talk in my sleep…"

He laughed. "Which is why I won't tell you what you said.

I cringed. Honestly, there are only a few things I could've said to embarrass myself. The worst part is it sounded like Aerrow was up all night. If he got no sleep then we're all in trouble. I quickly sat up and rolled off the bed, searching for the lamp. Though my room had a nice window, I turned lights on habitually.

"Are you still tired?" Aerrow asked, concerned.

I shook my head. "Too many nightmares. I don't think I could fall asleep again even if I wanted to."

He sighed. "Don't worry," he reassured me. "I have just the thing to fix that." Rolling out of bed, Aerrow staggered across the room and looked at me. "Meet me at the bridge when you're finished waking up, all right?" he smiled, taking his leave.

I rubbed my eyes, looking around. I caught my reflection in the nearby mirror, noting I'd fallen asleep with my hair still pulled up. Giving my scalp a break, I removed my hair tie and breathed a sigh of relief. My scalp was glad for the tension relief. I continued on with my normal morning routine, sifting through my clothes. This was my home, now—I was part of the team and had to look it. I grabbed my new uniform, shaking it out. I knew it wasn't traditional attire, I knew it wouldn't match the team. I pulled off my pajamas and replaced them with the uniform before pulling a pair of fingerless gloves on. I brushed off the outfit and smoothed out any wrinkles before leaving for the bathroom.

I brushed my teeth and combed out my hair, wondering what to do with it. I was unsure if I should put it up or leave it down, or a combination of both. Finally, I grabbed a new hair tie, gathered my hair in a bunch, and pulled it all together in a low ponytail—simple and quick.

That's right… Aerrow said something about meeting him at the bridge.

I turned the light off and trudged out of the bathroom, slowly making my way to the bridge. I passed Finn along the way, grabbing onto his shirt. I began pulling him with me.

"Whoa! Hey, hey, what's going on?!"

"Aerrow wants to see us."

A moment of silence before he responded. "Maybe he just wants to see you," he laughed. "Damn, you look good."

I sighed. "Finn, I don't think this is about me," I laughed as well.

"Well, it should be!"

Passing Piper's lab, I decided not to drag her along as well. Though it seemed as if she wasn't in her lab… maybe she was already there? Making another turn, I walked into an open space consisting of large file boxes, the ship's controls, and a round table. This was the head of the ship. Large windows surrounded the room, giving way to puffy clouds and large terras just beyond the metal hull.

I caught Stork's eye as I entered the room. The Merb looked quite disturbed. I shook my head, letting Finn go. I saw Piper and Aerrow looming over the table, going over some maps.

"But if we cut through there, we'll be going through Cyclonian Territory," Aerrow argued. "That's cutting it a little close. With Kai still…" He looked up and smiled. "With Kai still recovering, I don't want to risk it."

"Recovering?" I asked, yawning. "This is nothing! You should see what happens when a mechanic's saw the two end up nothing freaks out. Dad almost lost a finger and I had a close call with my sight," I waved a hand in front of my eyes, laughing.

Aerrow sighed, looking toward the map. He seemed a little tired himself, and I wondered if he could survive through the day. How long had he been awake, anyway? Did you really not get any sleep last night? Maybe being in a strange room and caused his insomnia… Maybe it was my fault.

Great… One more thing to blame myself for…

I closed my eyes and shook my head, shaking the bad thoughts from my mind. I didn't need the stress. My fault or not, I knew I shouldn't blame myself for it. Aerrow would understand. He's already worrying so much about the incident before at the academy, neither of us really needed the stress. Aerrow was already the leader, if he wanted more stress he would switch to Cyclonia.

"What are we doing today?" I asked quietly, still trying to wake up.

Looking around the room, Aerrow paused. Pressing his palms to the tale as he loomed over the map, his deep green eyes looked into my own. "Three words."

"_Let's kill Finn _is not an option," the blond boy laughed.

Aerrow glanced over his shoulder, his brows tugged together. "No…" Looking back toward me, he continued. "Va-ca-tion."

Piper sighed. "Finally… It's about time we went on vacation."

I could imagine how stressed they were being cooped up on the ship together. Who else did they see? Every morning it was the same faces—Aerrow, Piper, Finn, Junko, Stork… They all knew each other, they'd see each other every day; the day-to-day must get dull, no doubt a vacation would do everyone some good.

However, I assumed the place he had in mind was not entirely the place everyone wanted to be. Did everyone had a say in where they went? I knew they would take what they could get, but everyone would be happier with the unanimous vote. Even I would, though I couldn't base an opinion off of much since I haven't been anywhere special. Sure, I've been to Tropica once, but that was before I had the chance to absorb everything. We had a race, everything passed by in a blur… I knew I couldn't win, but I wanted to. Lying in the sand wasn't absorbing, it was hiding. I was avoiding Aerrow then, I didn't get the chance.

Of course, wherever we went would still hold just as much of a vacation as anywhere else. To me, Aerrow was taking his own time to plan this, could we really shove it back in his face? He was trying, what else could he do?

"Where are we going?" I asked with a grin, trying to hide the exhaustion. It was the least I could do.

Suddenly, it seemed like they were watching something else. Following their gaze, it was toward me. What was so interesting? I heard someone stand up, walking towards Piper, Aerrow, and I. I assumed it was Finn, but it could have been Stork or anyone else.

I looked down at my feet, but my eyes were quickly drawn to a short skirt. Did this have something to do with my new outfit? I sighed. "Guys…" With no response, I repeated my words before shortly after speaking each of their names. "Aerrow… Finn…? Guys?"

"They can't hear you. Kai, they're boys. Once one of them realizes you're actually dressed like a girl, there's no hope for them," Piper snickered.

I snapped my fingers, waving my hand in front of Aerrow's face. When his eyes became reactive, I smiled. "Welcome back," I laughed. "Now are you done staring at me?"

The boy found it difficult to tear his eyes off of me, but slowly found the will to return to the maps. "Uhh… Piper? Where do you think is best?"

"We are closest to these Terras… Stork, if the route isn't an issue we can go just about anywhere… You didn't have anywhere in mind?"

"I wanted to go to Tropica, but I don't know if that is the best place to go," he sighed. "Kai, any thoughts?"

"Aww… Don't listen to her, we're going to Tropica no matter what she says!" Finn interjected.

I laughed, "It's fine, we can go to Tropica. I really don't mind."

"Yeah, Aerrow, if _she_ wants to go, then we'll go," Piper rolled her eyes.

"I want to go to Tropica!" Finn repeated, over and over again.

"Is he always this immature?" I whispered to Aerrow and Piper. Their silent responses confirmed my suspicion. Finn is a kid and always will be. I told myself that I needed to remember that, however that didn't help me stay out of trouble with him in the future.

Aerrow sighed, scratching at his scalp. "Looks like we're going to Tropica."


	26. Chat

_Chat_

_Aerrow_

We all needed this break. Hell, even I was a little excited. I mean, this would be the first time I would go to Tropica for my own personal gain rather than for a mission. Though I can't entirely recalled going to Tropica for a mission, or seen anyone from Cyclonia there, that's hardly the point. None of us have been able to relax—and this place will be as good as any. Plus, whoever said I couldn't get to know the new teammate?

I still felt so bad, I felt that I needed to make it up to Kai… I wondered what would be best. What would take her mind off of watching a friend die? What would clear her mind of all the haunting images? I wanted to help, I honestly wanted to help.

However, all thoughts were cleared from my head when I saw Kai. Or rather, when I noticed her. Something was different… Was it her hair, or what she was wearing? Whatever was, Finn noticed too, and that sparked jealousy. I didn't like this feeling—it was a mixture of anger and hurt, neither of which felt all that great to begin with. I felt like I wanted to rip Finn's eyes out. I could tell the tension was mutual.

In order to stop an argument that could potentially be harmful, I had to leave the room. It was better that I got ready for the vacation, rather than sit there and spark trouble. I looked at myself in the mirror and questioned my sanity. Why now? What was it about Kai that changed in my eyes? It was so strange…

Once I was ready, however, I waited on the bridge for the rest. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the hanger door had been jarred open. Though as I got up to close it, I wondered if anyone had gotten out there. To be safe, as to not lock anyone outside, I stepped beyond the door, making sure it hadn't closed behind me.

Far out on the very edge of the landing strip sat Kai, her legs over the edge, her unorthodoxly long hair flying in the wind. She was entirely unsheltered from the wind, and travelling at the speeds we were, she was lucky to not be picked up and blown away. I laughed at the mental image that brought.

Carefully, I stepped out beyond the safety of the port and walked out onto the strip, balancing myself and planting my feet firmly with each step. Once I was safely behind her, I was careful not to startle her—I couldn't afford another accident, and I wouldn't be able to catch her in time if she fell.

"You're awfully noisy," she laughed, glancing over her shoulder, "for someone who is sneaking up behind me in such a loud environment." She gently rested her hand on the empty metal next to her—an invitation.

I took my next few steps carefully, making sure I didn't fall over the edge myself. "How long have you been out here?"

She hummed, barely audible above the wind. "About an hour, maybe… How long are we docking at Tropica?"

"A few days… I don't want to stay too long, but I know we need this… Kai, you need this."

She looked toward me, her bangs flying over her eyes.

"It was wrong of me to send you to the academy cold—no training, no experience, barely any time to even learn the ropes… My biggest fear was that you would be harmed. Unfortunately, you were. However, that wasn't the only fear I had. Without any true instruction from me, or any of us… corruption was my second fear. They're so tough… They brainwash those kids, I saw it firsthand. Kai, I know you told me not to bring it up anymore, but I really need to know what they taught you down there."

She looked away from me. "Aerrow," she sighed, smiling. "We're on vacation… Can't it wait?"

"Fine," I smiled back. "Then I guess I won't tell you what you said in your sleep."

She froze. Maybe she forgot? Good, this would be the perfect opportunity. I didn't want her to obsess over it—in fact, I wish I didn't have to bring up the Cyclonian academy. But I needed to tell her fact from fiction, I needed to clear the doubt. We were right, we were good, and they… were not. I just needed to erase any lies they had implanted, if any had stuck.

But not now… Kai wouldn't allow it. I accepted that.

"Tell me," she demanded.

I shook my head, gazing at the passing terras.

"Tell me, or I'll push you off!" She pressed her hand to my back. Her warm touch transferred through my jacket. Though I hadn't changed into my uniform this morning, I was in the habit. I knew the team wouldn't think twice about wearing their uniforms without prior knowledge—even Kai was nice enough to think about her uniform. But I knew, so I had worn my jeans, my tee shirt, and my brown leather jacket.

It was odd that I could feel her warmth through the jacket. Maybe it was psychosomatic? Either way, my heart rate picked up, anxious.

"Don't you dare!"

"Tell… me…" She tapped her index finger against my back, impatient.

"Kai, I honestly rather not," I told her. "We're friends," I looked at her. "I… don't want to jeopardize that."

"I was the one that said it, I think I have the right to know."

I sighed. "Kai, I don't know what you were dreaming, I have what you said entirely out of context. Yes, you have the right to know, but without the rest of the conversation it could be taken any way."

She kicked her feet in the air, slowly removing her hand from my back. "If I guess right… will you tell me?"

I nodded slowly.

"Was it about me?" When I shook my head, she continued. "Finn? My dad? My…. My mom?" She froze. "… You?"

I slowly glanced toward her.

"What the hell could I have said that would be so bad?"

I laughed. Honestly, the word _love_ has been tossed around so much these days, it has lost much of its meaning. Plus, like I had said it had been entirely out of context. In her little dream realm, she could've been thanking me for something… Who knows…?

"You… had said you loved me," I smiled.

"Ha… ha ha…" She smiled, beginning to laugh at my stupidity. "Really? And that's bad…?"

"I told you, it's entirely—"

"I know, I know," she laughed. "Aerrow, like you said, it could've meant anything. The only thing about that dream that I remember is a large chocolate ice cream cake."

I was quick to let the conversation drop, not giving it a chance to become potentially awkward. Looking down, I had the perfect subject change. I reached over and covered her eyes.

"Aerrow—!"

"Guess where we are…."

Slowly, she pulled my hand from her eyes, looking below her. "Tropica…"


	27. Just Taking a Break

_Just taking a Break_

_Aerrow_

I tugged on the ends of my leather jacket, digging my toes into the sand. We were finally in Tropica. I planted myself in the sand as I watched my team set up camp. So many people were already here, I was quick to wonder how many people were actually on the face of Atmos. The shoreline of Tropica was long, stretching out all the way across the terra, so it wasn't too hard to find a spot.

Finn, not bothering to set up camp with everyone else, went straight to renting the board and hitting the waves. Of course, I would do that later, but it would've been nice for him to help out. Now that I think about it, that is asking a lot of Finn. I shook my head and let him proceed, keeping my eye on the new teammate. She seemed unsure of what to do with herself, not wanting to sit down but not wanting to set up.

"Kai?" I questioned quietly, resting a hand on her back. "It's fine if you don't wanna help, you can go and have fun. There isn't much to do here anyway."

"Huh?" She looked up, a little dazed. "Sorry… I'm just a little distracted." She gave me a soft smile before kicking off her sandals. Kai had changed out of her uniform when I told her it wasn't necessary and told her to quickly grab anything she'd need for days we would be there. "So, you really don't mind if I go and swim?"

I shook my head with a smile.

"Great!" Kai dug her feet into the sand before pulling off her shirt. I couldn't help but watch… Hey, I'm only human. She brushed her hair out of her eyes with her hand, glancing at me. "What?" she laughed.

I shook my head nervously, dismissing the argument. "Nothing…"

Gathering her hair back, she began to intricately braid it. I could tell she knew what she's doing, and doing quite well, not having to have an aide or an extra set of eyes behind her. She braided all the way down to the ends, not missing a step. She pulled a tie off of her wrist, securing it around the ends. She spun around, looking at me. "Are you alright?"

Realizing just exactly what I was staring at, I looked up, catching her gaze. "Nice, err… Nice suit," I laughed nervously.

She raised a brow, questioning if that's really what I was staring at. "Hmm… Well, I like it," she giggled.

"It really… compliments your figure…" I cleared my throat.

Smoothing off her jean shorts, Kai glanced at me before running toward the water.

I suddenly felt a bit odd. I'd entirely screwed up a perfect compliment, but I had been more concerned about why. Was I nervous?

I shook my head and planted myself on the beach, watching her run off toward the water. She joined Finn, sitting waist-deep in the water. She watched the young kids further down the beach build mud pies and dry sandcastles. Finn spoke but grabbed no response from Kai. As her eyes traced the shore, her gaze caught mine. Realizing I was staring, I looked away, though I glanced back in time to see her smile at the slight embarrassment. She gave a gentle wave, still paying no mind to whatever Finn was saying. I could hear faint yelling, but nothing distinct.

I watched as a small wave swelled behind her, and Finn began warning the girl once more. She was easily distracted today, possibly from the lack of good sleep. However, she turned around in time to see the wave but couldn't turn away fast enough. The wave crashed over her and her jaw dropped. Kai began to laugh at the scene, but when Finn decided to laugh _at_ her and not with her, Kai stood up. Shouting something at Finn, you could tell she was going to get him back. Kai kicked water up at the boy, watching as he shook it off. When he splashed her back, it turned into an all-out splash fight.

I turned away from the scene, focusing on Piper. "Did you want to swim?" I asked her quietly, reaching for a soda she had set out.

"I might, later… Aerrow, is something bothering you?"

I looked back out toward the ocean, my gaze narrowed from the sunlight. I shook my head. "Not that I can think of…"

"Hm," she hummed in dismay. "Do you…. Have some sort of affinity with Kai? Or… or some sort of connection?"

"Why, are you jealous?" I retorted quickly with a laugh. I wasn't nervous in saying it, but the thought hadn't reached my mind before. However, I was nervous when I thought about her reaction.

She shook her head. "I'm just trying to figure out… why her? We were only there for supplies… We didn't _need_ a new teammate, but we got one. What made Kai so different?"

I turned to look at her. "Why are you a Storm Hawk?" I asked. "Why are you a part of this team?"

"I… I was helping out at the academy… You wanted to build the team and I offered to help."

I smiled. "…For the same exact reason I picked you," I answered her question. "She had nowhere else to go…"

Hours of lying on the beach in the sun had gotten to me. Sure I needed sunscreen and food—which were the only reasons I had to get up, but that was once or twice—but I also needed to join my team. Piper stuck it out in the shallow waters while Finn and Kai hit the bigger waves. The boy taught her the ropes of surfing and in no time, she had it down.

The two hit a wave together, the first one Kai successfully survived. However, about ten seconds in, Finn lost balance and fell, his surfboard eating the tide. Kai laughed at the slip-up, but managed to surf it out and ride the wave until it blended in with the tide.

Junko kept to the greener parts of Tropica, hosting a barbecue for anyone who passed by, or rather, dared to stomach his dishes. I got up once to check in on the big guy, finding that Stork had been there but quickly retreated to the ship. After seeing Stork in the ship, knowing I could make him leave and that it would need to be his decision, I left for the beach once more. This was my last chance to do anything today; the sun was setting and the water was losing its warmth. Bonfires were being set and people were retreating to their campsites. For those that actually had rare housing on the terra, they would stay longer on the beaches before heading home. Anyone who hadn't set up camp would leave, keeping the beaches partially neat-looking at night.

For the tropics, Tropica was quite cluttered… and not entirely with litter.

Kai returned from the water, calling the end of my opportunity to swim. I scooted over, giving Kai some room. "You're not burned, are you?" I asked.

She laughed. "Nah, Finn came back with some sunscreen Piper had given him… He gave me what could quite possibly be the worst line ever to get me to use it."

I glanced over toward Finn, who was being egged from the tide by Piper.

"But no, I'm fine. You'd think I'd get burned with my skin being so light…"

"Being a red-head doesn't help, either," I added, agreeing.

She nodded. "Definitely. I wouldn't think you've had any fun…," she looked at me. "You were up here all day. Didn't you want to swim?"

I contemplated the correct answer. "…I think I just needed to rest today. As fun as it would've been…"

Kai laughed. "I understand." Catching a glimpse of our neighbors starting a fire, Kai suggested something. "We could start a bonfire, you know. I mean, you did nothing today. Thought that may have been hilariously fun…," she rolled her eyes.

"Why not," I smiled.

After getting the fire started, I noticed Finn had left the water… only to start another problem—I quickly became unsure if Piper could pull him away from unwilling girls he was flirting with. That being said, I knew Kai and I had some time alone… and that meant I was free to interrogate her… or at least try to get to know her.

"Tell me the truth," Kai began. "Did you get any sleep last night?"

I shook my head, hovering my hands over the growing fire. "I tried… I really did. But I was genuinely worried about you. You had at least three nightmares… one of which you woke up from crying. It didn't take you long to fall back asleep, but by then I knew insomnia wouldn't let me. I managed to get off the bed and get something to eat and Radarr followed me back when I was done eating. He instantly crawled up and fell asleep with you. I sat up at your desk for most of the night. When the sun rose I was pass-out tired, so I laid down. You woke up just as I had fallen asleep and woke me up as well."

I could tell she felt bad, the silence putting a chill in the air. "At least you'll get some sleep tonight, right?"

I shrugged. "I'm a little afraid having a new team member is impacting my sleep…" Looking up, I could see her eyes lower, her skin became flushed. "Look, Kai… None of this is your fault. I've always had trouble sleeping when I'm stressed and I'm just a little more worried about my team lately."

With no response, I continued. "I'm glad you're on the team… It gives me something to look forward to every day."

She smiled, looking at me. The glow of the fire reflected off her eyes. Kai leaned over and kissed my cheek before returning to her spot, facing the fire.

I brought a hand to my face, the burn from her touch still emanating in my skin. "What was that for?" I asked quietly.

"For keeping me sane," she smiled.

I returned the soft smile, scooting closer to the girl.

Almost the instant things got quiet Finn rushed in and ruined the moment. I sighed, watching my chances swim down the drain. Piper was not too far behind him, taking a seat opposite Kai and I next to Finn. "It's getting pretty dark… I suggest we keep the fire going at night."

Only moments later, Junko walked up. "You guys don't mind if I sleep in the Condor… do you? It's… kinda creepy out here."

I nodded.

"Thanks, buddy." Junko turned around, heading off toward the air docks.

Kai sighed. I could tell something was wrong.

I sighed. With conversation picking up around the fire, my chances were definitely over.

Oh well, I doubt Kai had any interest in me anyway…


	28. The Drop Off

_The Drop Off_

_Aerrow_

When morning came, I was honestly surprised to find Kai awake, and surprised to find I had slept at all. Whether it was the waves that had lulled me to sleep or I'd passed out from exhaustion, I had slept nonetheless. Kai had hit the waves just as the sun hit the horizon. We'd all neglected to keep the fire going, honestly too tired to care about the darkness. I laughed quietly, sitting up. I brushed the sand from my hair, scanning the water to catch a glimpse of the red-head girl.

I reached out, searching the sand for something to drink. I lifted the lid on the cooler beside Piper, finding a bottle of water. I glanced at the others, noting both Junko and Radarr had changed their minds, sleeping on the beach with us as well. I was disappointed that our pilot hadn't come out as well, but I couldn't blame him nor could I force him. Stork had his own issues, as did the rest of us. It was better not to push him over the edge of neurosis and keep him in his realm of sanity anyway.

I screwed the cap back onto the water bottle, standing up quietly. I had even been impervious to Finn's snoring, a complete surprise indeed. I tiptoed lightly passed the group, rushing off toward the shore. "Kai!" I called out, trying to catch her attention without waking anyone else up. Floating beside her board, she peered past the waxed board toward me.

She sunk down and resurfaced a few feet closer to the shore, her board in-tow. She grabbed her board and ran out of the water. She detached the strap, propped her board up in the sand and smiled. "You're up!" Kai wrapped her arms around me, the salt water from her bathing suit soaking into my clothes.

I laughed quietly. "How long have you been awake?"

Kai quickly pulled away as her surfboard began to fall over, catching it before it hit the sand. "An hour or so… Is anyone else awake?"

I shook my head. "Just us, maybe Stork."

She smiled softly. "You want to go surf?" Kai pointed a thumb behind her, showing me the soft tide.

"There aren't many waves…," I glanced behind me. "And I don't think the rental place is open yet."

"Steal Finn's board. He's not up yet…"

Contemplating the surf, and the fact that this possibly the last chance I had alone with her this vacation, I took it. I snuck up on my sleeping team and quietly pilfered Finn's board. I quickly removed my shirt and followed after Kai into the surf. The waves were calm, alongside a soft breeze. Kai had caught a few lucky waves and though it was slightly choppy, there wasn't enough to surf on anymore.

I wondered what her intentions were if surfing wasn't an option…

"Let's go out past the drop-off."

I scratched at my neck, a bit nervous. I'd never had much experience with swimming, but I could keep myself afloat. I just… I have issues when I can't see the ocean floor. Sure, the water's pretty clear, but the deeper you go, the darker it gets. "…Sure…," I laughed nervously.

"Huh?" she smiled. "Aerrow's not afraid, is he?"

"…A little…," I admitted.

"The leader of the Storm Hawks… You've faced the Dark Ace multiple times, invaded Cyclonia, flown through the Wastelands, escaped the Colonel's compound… You? Afraid of the ocean?" She crossed her arms, letting her board float away to the end of its leash.

"That's different!"

She stepped forward. "Do you want me to hold your hand?"

…Was that a rhetorical question?

"Come on," she smiled, grabbing my hand. "It won't be that bad." She reached out and grabbed her board, holding it at her side.

Now in a little past my waist, Kai about seven inches deeper due to her height, I suggested we stop here.

"Really…?" she whined. "What are you worried about? Look the fish don't show up until a few feet past the drop off. There's no strong current so you can't get sucked under…" Kai smiled. "You have a floatation device," she laughed, pointing to my board. "If you sink, you won't get very far."

After a bit of convincing, she managed to get me to climb up onto my board and paddle a little ways out. Officially unable to touch the bottom with my feet, I watched as the ocean floor dropped off in ten feet increments.

Kai turned towards me, pulling her feet up onto the board. Her board threatened to flip but she kept it steady. "Are you still worried?" she asked.

I turned and sat on the side of my board, my legs dangling in the water. "I see what you mean by fish," I laughed, watching the curious fish cautiously surround us.

"They won't bite…"

Several feet below us, solitary fish continued swimming undisturbed below us. "I guess it's not that bad, really."

Kai smiled. "It's really nice to just be in the water… Quite calming."

"Sure, it is… If you can get past the anxiety, the fear and imminent danger of drowning, and potentially dangerous fish."

"Aerrow!" Kai chided.

"All right, all right, fine." I continued to watch the fish, seeing them inch closer to us. Noting Kai's lack of fear, they'd already surrounded her feet. "Hah. Who knew fish were so friendly?"

"Yeah. When you don't stuff 'em in a tank to be poked at all day, you'd be surprised how friendly they are." She laughed, seeing the fish around her.

"So… how long are we going to be out here?"

"As long as we want to be…," she sighed, letting the slight current sweep her farther past the drop off. I kicked my legs through the water to keep up with her, scaring the fish away. It's actually pretty nice out here. Quiet… calm… serene…

"Hey, Kai…," I called, catching her attention.

"Hm?"

"Why do you think the birds are flying out here?"

"Suicide," she laughed. "There's no food out here… The farther past land's end a bird flies…"

I laughed. "So they're trying to kill themselves. Hm."

A suspicious smile grew on Kai's face.

"Hey, what's with you?" I asked, confused, as I watched her.

"Oh… nothing…," she grabbed the safety cord and pulled my board closer.

"No… something's up… Oh, no, no, no, no! Don't even think about tipping my board!" I ran my hands through the water, futilely trying to distance myself from her.

"Who said anything about that?" Her smile grew.

I tried to kick her board farther from mine, but it was useless, she still had a grip on my board. "Kai, I swear, tip my board and I'll kick your ass off the ship!"

"You promise?" she teased, tipping my board over.

I yelped as I fell into the water, kept at a short distance from the surface by the safety cord on the board. "Damn it, Kai!" I shouted as I resurfaced, reaching out for my board. "You better swim as far away from me as you possibly can!" I paused, wiping the salt water from my eyes. "The second I get my hands—"

"Aerrow…"

"—on you, you'll be scrubbing the ship inside and out! While we're flying!"

"Aerrow… Aerrow! Listen to yourself."

I stopped, recounting my words. "Ha… Ha ha…" I gave a half-smile, laughing at my stupidity. "I'm so used to yelling at Finn for stuff like that…" I looked up toward Kai. "I'm sorry, Kai."

She smiled, laughing. "You should see your hair, too!"

I raised a brow, shaking out my hair. I analyzed her precarious position on her board and sunk underwater, resurfacing on the other side of her board.

"Wait… Aerrow, what are you doing…?"

"Your turn!" I laughed, pushing her board over.

Resurfacing, Kai's jaw dropped, she roughly wiped the water from her eyes and stared me down. "Oh, now you're going to get it!"

I laughed loudly.

"Oh, sure, it's funny when it happens to me!"

I nodded.

With a sigh, Kai gave up the idea of revenge, knowing we were pretty much even. She pulled herself back onto her board and watched as I swam around. I minded the board leashed to my ankle, knowing it was cumbersome and only let me go so far without pulling it along. After seeing the fish flee the area, I began to feel guilty for disrupting their routes. I climbed back onto my board and watched Kai.

There was something, by then, I had been dying to ask. "What are we doing out here, anyway? There's no surf…"

She watched me, a soft smile crawling onto her features. "Can't I have some excuse to get to know you?"

"Hah…" I looked down toward my feet. "That was my excuse…"

She blushed looking away.

I glanced toward the shoreline, something catching my eye. "Hey… is that Finn?" I tapped Kai's leg, pointing out a small, blond kid waving toward us.

"Yeah! Finn and I are supposed to go diving later. I guess he's just anxious."

I looked down, then toward Kai. "You and Finn?"

"Yeah!" She quickly caught on to my uneasiness. "…You're… welcome to come with," she smiled nervously.

"No…," I sighed. "No, it's fine. Piper wanted to search the tide pools but she's afraid to go alone. I'll just go with her."

She furrowed her brow. "Were you expecting to spend the day with me…?" she asked, unsure.

I shook my head. "I wasn't entirely sure what to do," I forced a laugh. "Been contemplating a few things for a while."

Still unsure, she smiled. "Okay. But if you change your mind… Finn and I are going to rent our equipment once the stores open. We'll be starting at the pier where the reef begins. You can join us at any time." Unable to clear the awkward feeling in the air, Kai put in another suggestion. "I'm going to go see if there's anything else we need to do before we go diving, all right? I'll meet you on-shore."

I watched as Kai paddled back in, my heart sinking. I knew this was my fault—Kai already had plans and I was being selfish. Why did I feel like this anyway? After adding up the facts, I quickly came to a conclusion.

I was genuinely interested in Kai.

Hah. Who would've thought…?


	29. Torn

_Torn_

_Kai_

"I've changed my mind," Finn smiled. "I don't want to dive."

"Huh? You said you were dying to check out the reef!" I complained.

He shrugged. "Turns out there's this weird type of coral that can kill you… I don't want to get _anywhere_ near it."

I laughed at the stupidity of the excuse. "All right… so what do you want to do, then?"

He shrugged again.

I sighed. Great… I just blew off Aerrow to keep plans that end up falling through. I felt like such an ass. "If you don't want to go diving, I can always take Aerrow. Piper wants to go see the tide pools but she doesn't want to go alone. Aerrow was going to go with her, you can always take his—"

"No!" he cut me off. "No… Can't we just swim?" he laughed nervously.

I looked at him, confused. "What's up with you today?"

"Just jumpy, I guess." He then sighed. "Look, you're new... to the team, I mean. None of us have really gotten the chance to know you, you know?"

"You spent all yesterday teaching me how to surf. You learned I have a terrible sense of balance—"

He cut me off, counting off other things he'd learned on his fingers, "A great body, hilarious sense of humor, the ability to learn things quickly…"

"Okay, okay," I laughed.

"The point is… I know your name and I know how you act. I know nothing of where you're from, your family…"

"Since… since when are you so interested in learning something?" I put my hand on my hip, raising a brow.

He smiled slyly. "Maybe I'm really just interested in you…"

I forced a smile, but somewhere behind it an aching feeling brewed. Somehow I felt torn… Finn, though more forward, was giving off the same signals as Aerrow. I shook the strange thoughts from my mind and went along with the blond. "Oh really, now…"

"Dude, you're hot, you're funny, and you haven't told me to get lost… I already have more of a chance with you than anyone else I've met."

The little voice in my head laughed, _You got that right._

I honestly could understand why the other girls had blatantly rejected him—he's an annoying, hyper-active, immature kid. But he's also got this sincerity about him… The few times we'd left the water to eat or drink, I'd watched him outright flirt with the nearest girl. He was obviously trying to score, but with me… though goofy and overdone, his ways said the boy was honestly trying. Immature and roundabout, yes, but somewhere behind that cheesy grin was sincerity.

I laughed quietly. "You're not kidding, are you…?"

He shook his head. "You're the first girl that hasn't turned me down on the spot… Who knows, maybe I have a shot?"

I was unsure how to respond. I was torn between right and wrong, as well as what my heart told me. "Finn…"

"Just forget I said anything, all right? Let's go to the tide pools and help Aerrow out so he doesn't totally make a fool of himself in front of Piper."

I sighed and followed after the blond as he trudged toward the rocky shoreline. If Finn was right, then Aerrow was after Piper and I wouldn't have to worry. I could just let things be and see what happened between Finn and I.

If nothing were wrong… why did I feel so terrible?

ooo

I leaned against the rock wall, watching Finn, Piper, and Aerrow dig through the pools for evidence of life. Radarr sat on one of the taller rocks, governing the situation. I wondered why Junko had chosen to stay back on the beach. I noticed half the team was really missing out on the vacation—hell, I barely knew Stork and Junko. I wondered if they would remain absent the entire time I was on the team.

Aerrow caught my gaze and sent me a smile. I forcibly returned his smile before looking away, seeing other families search through the other pools quite a distance down the shore. He soon joined me against the wall, overlooking our team.

"What did Junko end up doing?" I asked, unsure if he'd really stuck it out on the beach.

"Ehh… he went back to the ship to try and urge Stork out," he laughed.

I sighed, scanning the horizon.

"Is everything all right?" he asked. "You seem a little distant."

I lied, "I really wanted to go diving, but Finn changed his mind."

"Well, why didn't you?"

I looked at my feet. "You're supposed to dive with a buddy in case anything goes wrong. In fact, I don't think they'll let you rent equipment alone for liability reasons. I _think_… I don't know."

"We're leaving tomorrow," he added quietly. "Junko said we got a call to help stop a rebellion on Terra Lynn… Then we've got to go to Terra Neon."

"Back to business, eh?" I looked at him. "There's really no break from it… is there?"

He shook his head. "This is about as good as it gets for vacation. You can stop working, but the world around you won't."

I sighed. "Welcome to the Storm Hawks, Kai…," I laughed at myself. "Is the day over yet…?"

He laughed in disbelief. "Do you really want to leave?"

I shook my head. "I just want today to be over. It's getting hectic."

"Kai, it's vacation. What's so hectic about it?"

I shook my head. "Never mind…" Mixed feelings and thoughts were really beginning to stress me out. Times like that made me wish I could read minds.

Finn brushed off his hands, rushing over to us. "Hey, I'm going to go get some food, you guys want to come with?"

Aerrow shook his head. "Did Piper want anything?"

"She said she'll get something to eat later. Kai, you want to come?" he asked, smiling.

I sighed. "Might as well…"

Finn started off toward the sand, taking the lead.

I began walking off, looking at Aerrow before I got too far away. "I'll be back soon."

He gave a hopeless wave, his hand falling to his side as he walked back toward Piper.

"Finn!" I called out, sprinting to his side.

"What's up with Aerrow?" he asked.

"It's not him, it's me."

"Wait, what?"

I shook my head. "Today's just going to shit."

He gave me a half-smile. "Can I make it up to you? How about a burger?"

I smiled. "That actually sounds really good."

Finn put his arm around me, leading me off toward the shops. "Today will get better; I will see to it myself."

The fact that _Finn_ was actually putting effort in must mean _something_.

ooo

"So… Aerrow said we're leaving tomorrow…"

He looked away, toying with a french-fry. "Really…?"

"I guess the bright side of leaving is that we're heading toward Terra Neon. My dad took me there when I was younger, so it's got a bit of sentimental value."

He smiled. "Any idea why we're heading over there?" he asked, stuffing a french-fry into his mouth.

I shrugged. "He said we're stopping a rebellion on Terra Lynn… Neon isn't too far away, but I'm not sure why we're going there."

"Lynn?" Finn suddenly perked up. "Awesome! I'll get to go see my friends!"

I smiled. "Are you from there?"

He nodded. "Yeah… Not looking forward to seeing my family, so maybe I can avoid that."

"It seems like everyone in this squadron has family issues. Aerrow's parents are dead, Piper doesn't _have_ a family, Stork ran from his, Junko… Well, I'm not sure about his. Radarr's family… He's a creature, so I suppose we're his family, now.

"My family…," I continued sighing. "My father _isn't_. He's never there and when he is, the only thing he's interested in is food! If he'd asked a favor of me while he's gone, a job well done on it was never done well enough."

"Kai…"

"On top of it all, divorce wasn't an issue. My father is a widower—she died when I was two." I looked away from him, tears filling my eyes as I brought old memories to the surface.

Finn whined quietly, unsure of what to say. "You… you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

I shook my head. "It's my fault for bringing it up anyway." I pushed the empty food baskets toward Finn, resting my head on the table. I began to think over what a grim life I've had, sheltered from so much of the world. I brought my arms up to hug my skull, keeping the sunlight off of my face.

"Hey guys…," Aerrow said cheerfully, walking up to the table. "Kai… are you all right?"

When I answered with a simple groan, that's when things got worse.

"What the hell did you say to her?!" Aerrow accused Finn.

The boy quickly shot up from his seat and backed away. "I-I didn't say anything! I swear!"

"Aerrow!" I shouted. "He didn't do anything!"

Aerrow glared at the boy for a moment more before assessing any problem I may have had. "Are you all right?" he asked, taking Finn's seat.

"Yeah… Just opened old wounds… I'll be fine, don't worry." I lifted my head to meet his gaze, forcing a smile. I wiped my face off and reached across the table, stealing Finn's fries.

The blond soon returned to the table, though it wasn't without caution. He whined quietly when he saw I was polishing off the last of his meal.

Aerrow tried to lighten the mood, changing the subject. "Piper's almost done at the tide pools—she's collecting a few shells. Once she's back… I was thinking we could get the team together and have some last-minute fun. It may be a while before we see any relief…."

I shrugged. "I guess it really depends what exactly you had in mind!"

"Dude, it's Tropica. Anything Tropica-related is fun."

Aerrow nodded. "However, we aren't limited to Tropica. If we can come to a unanimous decision, and as long as it isn't more than an hour away, we can pretty much do anything."

"Hey, guys." Piper sat down, setting a sandy bucket on the table. I was glad none of us planned on eating the remaining food, now that it was dusted with sand. "…Are you all right?" she asked, resting a hand on my own.

I nodded, smiling. I felt glad that Piper was a bit more compassionate toward me. When we first met… it was like talking to a brick wall. Ever since the academy, however, she seemed a little more forgiving. Maybe Aerrow had gotten to her while Finn and I were gone?

"I'm fine, really. The heat's just getting to me."

Aerrow's gaze shot over to me, noting the unwillingness to share what had happened—not only with her, but with him as well.

Piper sighed. "If you're sure…"

Junko joined the table as well, Radarr clinging to his shoulder like a backpack. He took the seat next to Finn. "Hey, buddy. What's going on?"

"We're trying to decide what to do until vacation's over. We're running out of things to do here… Did you ever get Stork to come out?"

The Wallop shook his head. "Nope… he said being in the Condor alone was vacation enough for him. Said something about the… lack of Finn's pranks and silence was his ideal… something-or-other."

I smiled. "Pranks, eh?"

Finn laughed, though it was quickly silenced by a glare from Aerrow.

"I suppose… if we can't find anything to do, we could always get a head start toward Lynn." With a neutral vote from everyone at the table, even little Radarr, Aerrow sighed. "Honestly… I don't want to leave. I'll make you guys a deal. Why don't we stick it out for a few more hours and if your vote hasn't changed, we'll leave." I could hear the sadness in his voice—he knew it would be months, if even that, until he saw another break. For being so young, he was expected of acting so much older. He had the stress level of a working adult and he hid it so well…

I smiled. "Aerrow… the tide's picked up a bit, do you want to go surfing?" Though the water was just as calm as it had been at five A.M., I figured that excuse was as good as any.

The red-head smiled.

"Finn, you don't mind if he steals your board, do you?" When he whined, complaining that he wanted to surf too, I sighed. "Fine, we'll go rent one. Come with?" I asked, glancing back toward Aerrow.

"We'll meet you guys back at camp when we get bored."

As I continued toward the shop, I readjusted my top and smoothed out my hair, noting my braid was still quite a bit wet. I'd gotten hit by quite a few waves while searching through the tide pools which pushed my decision to stick it out by the rock wall.

"Liar," Aerrow laughed, catching up with me.

"What do you mean?"

"You couldn't catch a wave out there even if you tried. What are you up to?"

I smiled. "I'm picking up where this morning left off." I stood up on my toes and rested my arms on the counter, trying to catch the clerk's attention.

"Aerrow!" the surfer smiled. "Back again, eh? I see you're still hangin' around the stubborn girl," he eyed me warily, turning back toward the red-head.

"Stubborn?" I repeated, laughing.

Aerrow laughed nervously. "She's… a part of the team now."

"Ahh, you're really determined, aren't ya?"

Aerrow looked away, smiling.

"Anyway," I quickly changed the topic. "Aerrow needs a board. We're going surfing and he can't steal Finn's board." I pulled the rental fee from my pocket and placed it on the counter—though soaked and dried five times over, and a bit wrinkled, it was still legal tender.

The man smiled, pulling a pink rubber wristband out from behind the counter. "There's a line-up of boards on the side of the shack. Take your pick, mate."

I handed the band to Aerrow, thanking the man as Aerrow went around to pick out a board. "So… what's this about Aerrow's determination?"

"Ahh… Well, when you two were here last, it seemed like the boy was really trying to get under your skin. I'm honestly quite surprised to see you two together here."

"Oh, we're not alone," I corrected him. "His… I mean, our team's here on vacation. We're… leaving tomorrow, though…"

He laughed. "He just seems quite determined with you. I know it don't seem like much but I can tell the boy's not good with big things. He'll show it in the small details."

"What exactly are you saying…?"

"Come on, you're not blind are ya? Mate, the boy's got a little crush on ya," he laughed. "Young, yes, but there's no mistaking that look in his eyes."

Just as that was said, Aerrow returned with his pick of the lot. "Ready?"

"Don't push it," the surfer whispered to me. "You'll see what I mean soon enough, girly."

"Hm." I turned around, smiling. "Sure. Let's go."


	30. Perfect Surf

_Perfect Surf  
_

_Aerrow_

It's funny how things can change for the worse in only a moment's time. I don't understand it… Rage came over me so quickly and all because she was upset. I shot at the first person that could possibly be responsible… I've never been such an angry person, I've never wanted to react so violently… What's happening to me?

Finn is my friend. I shouldn't want to hurt him over something so trivial. Who knows? Kai may not even be interested in me. But the question still looms—how could she have such a strong grip over my emotions? Especially ones I would never willingly use against my own friends…

I closed my eyes and I could see everything I wanted to do to Finn for ever putting Kai in danger at the Academy. Sure, her scars are healing nicely, but the emotional ones never will be the same. I can't sleep with her every night, sexual connotation aside… I can't protect her from the nightmares, no matter how much I'd love to.

"Aerrow… You worry about me too much."

"Hm?" I looked up from my board. "Oh…"

"You snapped at Finn… Is everything okay?"

I laughed. "Yeah, maybe I have more than my fair share of demons… You haven't known me long enough."

She scoffed. "Aerrow, I've known you long enough. You have had your moment with rage, but it's not like you."

_Good judge of character,_ I laughed silently. "Kai… the reason we're on this vacation is because we're all on edge. I'm…just a little disappointed that we're being forced to leave early."

"Hm." She kicked her feet through the water.

"Well what about you? You're a bit off yourself."

She smiled. "This argument is repeating itself."

"But it seems like something's wrong…"

She looked toward the shoreline, examining the families swimming on the other side of the drop off. "… Finn… had mentioned something about you and Piper."

My heart rate skyrocketed. "S-said what?"

She laid back on the board, facing the sky. One leg hung off the board, another was propped up, her foot lying flat against the waxy surface. "Finn suggested we join in the tide pool search to keep you from tripping over Piper."

I laughed. "Seriously? Finn needs to get his facts straight…"

She pulled her braid out of the water, letting it rest on the board beside her. "What do you mean?"

I cleared my throat. "Well… That… Finn…"

"What about Finn?!" the blond shouted, paddling out to join us. "Hey, guys. Getting tired, Kai?"

She let her head roll to the side, watching the blond. "A little."

"Aerrow's boring you, then, eh? Let's go do something fun."

I huffed, "Why you little…" I reached over a smacked the back of Finn's head the second Kai looked away. It seemed to go downhill from there.

Finn, though angry, shot me a glare and a smug smile before speaking up again. "Hey, Kai… Let's go back to the tide pools. I found this perfect cave we can hide in."

"Among other things?" she laughed. "Really, Finn…"

I watched Kai carefully, making sure she wouldn't turn her head back toward us. I positioned myself just right and kicked the bottom of Finn's board, unbalancing him. Just then, hearing splashing in the water, Kai rolled her head back over and watched as Finn fell off his board. Startled, Kai sat up quickly but ultimately fell off her board and into the water as well.

I sighed. "Shit."

Finn slowly climbed back up onto his board, cursing at me.

"Oh, shut up, you flirt. What do you think you're doing, trying to get involved with Kai?"

He lowered his brow. "Ohh, so I'm interrupting something, eh? Well you can take your surfboard and shove it up your ass!"

Kai's board tapped my own, catching my attention. Then, a stunning realization hit me. Kai didn't come back up. I scrambled to the safety cord attached to the board, pulling it up. When I reached the end and no Kai, my heard sunk. "She must've come out of it…"

"Why the hell are we sitting here?! Kai's down there, floating somewhere! I'm going to get her."

"No, I'll get her." I kicked Finn off his board once more, undoing the safety strap on my ankle.

Resurfacing, Finn glared at me. "You know what? You're being selfish. Save yourself the damn trouble and think about Kai for once. I'm going to get her."

_Finn_

Just as soon as he had his safety strap undone, mine was off and I was already five feet below the surface. My eyes shot open and I scanned the clear water for Kai. Quite a few feet deeper sat a trapped girl, frantically trying to free herself from something she was caught on. Adrenaline now pumping through my veins, I powered to the bottom and ignored my need for air.

I grabbed onto Kai's arm, reassuring her I was there. When the girl suddenly froze in the water, I knew something was wrong. Her limbs became limp and she just floated there.

I scrambled to find whatever was keeping her trapped to the bottom, seeing it was much too large to lift. I took the denim belt loop and began to pry it from its stitching. One or two good tugs did nothing, and I was running out of time. One last adrenaline and anger-fueled tug did the trick and she was free, but far from trouble.

I kept her lifeless body close as I swam to the surface, ignoring the possible decompression sickness that might result. Once I'd resurfaced, a frantic Aerrow helping me get her onto a board, I gasped for air, my heart and lungs yelling at me for the stupid yet life-saving stunt.

"Is she all right?"

"Does she look all right?" I yelled at Aerrow. "Just shut up and help me get her to the shore! We have four minutes, less now, to get her to breathe before she could die." And I knew it would take longer than that to get her to the shore.

I got behind the board and began pushing it to the shore. Aerrow, unsure what to do, grabbed his board and Kai's, pulling them behind him. I counted each second as it passed by, the knot in my chest tightening with each moment. With each fueled kick, however, we made it with only moments to spare. I picked Kai off the board, ignoring the board itself, and rushed her up onto the beach. Piper dropped what she was doing, dragging Junko and Radarr behind her, to see what was going on.

"What's wrong? Is she all right?"

"I'm not sure what happened… Kai fell off her board and somehow made it to the ocean floor. She got caught on a spare carrier ship part and took in some water."

Stunned, Piper struggled to breathe herself. "…Cpr!" she demanded. "Someone needs to get her breathing."

"You do it!"

"I'll do it," Aerrow called behind me, rushing up onto the beach.

That's all I needed to hear. I quickly took charge and tilted Kai's head back, pried open her jaw, and placed my ear over her chest. "She's still alive… she's definitely not breathing." I sat up, hovering over her. I looked directly at Piper. "Go get Stork in case things go wrong."

She nodded, running off.

I quickly returned to Kai. I sighed, plugging her nose. Performing rescue breathing, I forced about two breaths into her lungs with no luck. By now, we'd passed the four minute mark. Her heart was still beating, but it wouldn't be for long. Another breath, then another. And another…

Suddenly, Kai attempted to breathe in before coughing up the water she'd taken in. I sat back, letting out a sigh of relief. Aerrow rushed to her side as she rolled over, continuing to cough up water.

"Kai! Kai… are you all right? What happened?"

"That's...," she paused, coughing. "That's… my line…"

Aerrow whined, worried.

Piper quickly returned with Stork, and though reluctant to be near the water after our last vacation here, he quickly took over and assessed the medical situation. "She needs to get back on the ship…"

"Right. Everyone, back on the ship. Our vacation is over…"

Junko attempted to pick up Kai, but I stopped him, taking her to the ship myself.

"I would believe you if you told me that you saved me…"

I scoffed. "Isn't that just the thanks I get."

"…You… really saved me, didn't you?"

I stayed silent, continuing toward the condor.

Feeling guilty, Kai sighed, closing her eyes.


	31. Lynn

_Credit where it's due: Invader Lana helped me BIG TIME with this chapter. Not only with the suggestion for the topic, but the dialogue and interactions that follow as well. Thanks, Lana!_

_Lynn_

_Aerrow_

I sat by her side the entire time, even when Stork forced everyone out of the room, I was right there, sitting behind the door. Walking out, the Merb was content that Kai would be fine. He'd given her something so she could sleep through the rest of the day, as well as the night. Without him barking down our throats to stay out of the room, I barged back in and made myself comfortable at her desk chair. Just as I'd kicked the door shut with my foot, Finn, caught the door and made his way in.

"What is it with you?"

"I'm worried…," the blond sighed, rubbing his neck. "Look, Aerrow… I'm… sorry for yelling at you earlier... and insulting you…"

I sighed, shaking my head. "I suppose I should apologize, too. I've… had a bit of a temper lately."

He scoffed, sitting on the floor against the wall. "Yeah. About that, Aerrow…"

"Don't worry, I'm already working on it."

"No, listen. You've been acting weird since Kai came on-board… In fact, if I didn't know better I'd say it was _because_ of Kai that you're acting weird!" He laughed. "Ha! You like Kai!"

_This is the wrong room to be talking about this. _"Can this wait?"

He shook his head.

"Look who's talking, you flirt."

'Yeah, but at least I have the balls to tell her."

I took in a deep breath and counted to ten.

One…

"And hey! She didn't exactly shoot me down."

Two…

"And hell… maybe I can get her on my side before she even figures out you like her!"

TEN!

Just as I'd begun to snap, so did Kai. She began to scream in pain, clutching tightly to her blankets. Finn and I both jumped, startled.

"Kai!"

She lurched toward me, her eyes wide. "Aerrow… What… are you doing in here?"

Finn busted out laughing, despite the situation.

"I wanted to make sure you were all right."

She sighed, rolling onto her back. "What was I doing…?"

"Screaming… but you're fine. You're fine now…"

Knocking on the door, Junko trudged in. "Is… everything all right?"

Finn quieted down.

"Sorry, Junko… Didn't mean to wake you up," Kai apologized. "Guess the academy really had an effect on me…"

"The academy?" Junko repeated. "You… don't mind if I talk to Kai, do ya guys?"

I glanced at Finn, then back toward Kai. "Uh… sure, buddy." I gave Kai a subtle smile, dragging Finn out of the room.

_Kai_

"What's this about?" I yawned.

The Wallop decided not to sit on my bed, for fear of something. "I can understand what you're going through… The academy was rough."

Rubbing my eyes, I sat up, rolling my legs off of the bed. "What do you mean?"

"I was trained as a talon," he laughed. "I never wanted to be a talon, but I couldn't be one of the good guys… until Aerrow told me I could, I didn't know I had another choice."

I smiled. "So you know what the academy was like…"

He nodded. "I saw a lot of nasty things at the academy… it took me a while to forget."

"How'd you get over it?" I asked, hopeful.

Junko looked at his feet. "I had friends… I knew they would protect me from Cyclonia, and I would protect them. Things didn't look so bad after that. Kai, ya gotta trust Aerrow. He's a good kid… he won't let you fall too far before catching you."

I smiled.

"He won't let you near the Dark Ace again. I can tell you that much… You won't have to face him again." Glancing toward the door, Junko backed away. "Try to trust us… You'll be fine. Nothing like that will ever happen again. We're your team, we've got your back," he smiled.

Returning his grin, I gave the Wallop a wave as he left the room.

Without word one from the boys, I assumed I would have the rest of the night to sleep… and if I was right, the nightmares wouldn't resurface themselves for quite some time.

ooo

Lynn… It was quite beautiful—rural yet modern… Populated yet simply not crowded. Though half the people I ran into were blond… that didn't make much of a difference. Everyone had their own personality, their own memories… and their own reason for starting a rebellion.

"All right, guys. This is… well, to put it bluntly, it's going to be hell. The people of Lynn don't have weapons to speak of… but they have crystals. If any of them have managed to put together a crystal charger, we're in for a rough fight. Remember," Aerrow's tone grew serious. "We're here to stop them, not hurt them. Only use force when necessary."

"We're alone in this, aren't we?" I asked.

He nodded grimly. "Everyone else is busy. We don't have to stop the rebellion if we can't… we just need to stall long enough for reinforcements show up. If anyone of us gets hurt… stand down. I'm not risking any of your lives over this."

We nodded, the others taking their Skimmers to the air, Finn and I staying behind.

"You don't plan on going?" I asked.

He sighed. "I… don't feel comfortable fighting back."

"Hm…" I climbed off my Skimmer, standing by Finn. "Then join me. I'm not helping in the rebellion just yet."

"Where are you going?" he asked.

I looked down, rocking back and forth on my toes. "You know Elle…? She said her family was on Lynn…"

"You said she was from Mesa."

I nodded. "She lived with her Aunt on Mesa. Finn…" I pulled a picture out of my pocket. "We're going to see her family."

Taking the photo, Finn examined Elle's family closely, seeing the photo was quite a few years old. Elle was young, around our age at the time. The picture held her, her mother, her father—an apparent Talon—and a young boy, around Elle's age in the photo. They looked like twins…

Finn closed his eyes, handing me the photo. "Can you handle seeing her family?"

I nodded. "I need for them to know what happened. With her father being a Talon, I'm sure they've already heard of her death."

Finn smiled. "You're too nice for your own good."

ooo

"Finn… Finn! I've got it!" I turned to thank the old man on my left, running over to my blond comrade. "I've got their address… Turns out her parents have lived here since their community was built. The dad is a well-known Cyclonian amongst the area…"

"Oooh," Finn cringed.

"Yeah… Any possibility of not mentioning that we're Storm Hawks?" I pulled the photo out of my pocket, along with Elle's necklace, and the note I'd found in her belongings.

Finn shrugged. "If we don't have to, I wouldn't. I'd… rather not die today."

I sighed. "The worst that could possibly happen is the Cyclonian kills us. No pressure, right?"

Finn whined.

Once we found the house, our anxiety really set in. Whoever was behind this door could potentially kill us for what was done. I silently thanked Aerrow for letting me borrow his spare energy blades before knocking on the door.

A young woman opened the door, her husband not too far behind her. They matched the picture perfectly, and I knew I had the right family. "Good morning, Miss," I smiled. "My name is Kai, this is Finn."

The blond stepped back, catching the father's gaze.

"We'd like to talk to you two for a moment, may we come in?"

Suddenly, the husband pushed his way forward and growled toward his wife, closing the door behind him. "We don't want to hear anything you two kids have to say." His eyes were focused on our weapons. "So get your crystals and get the hell off of our front porch."

Like a timid cat with its ears pinned to its skull, I took a few steps back. Finn rested his hand on my shoulder, speaking quietly. "Let me handle this." Stepping forward, Finn put on a tough front. "Sir, we have some important information about your daughter I think you may want to hear."

The man stepped up to Finn, staring him down. "I don't want to hear it."

Finn quickly backed out. "K-Kai?"

I sighed. "Listen, Mr. Warden. We have some personal effects of your daughter's that we'd like to return… but we'd also like to talk to you and your wife."

With a grunt, he turned toward the door, his eye never leaving Finn. It was odd… I'd seen that look before. He opened the door with force, finding his wife straightening up the living room, almost as if she knew we were coming in.

"Welcome to our home," she spoke meekly, ushering us to sit down. "If you'd be so kind, would you mind leaving your weapons at the door?" she asked. "Mr. Warden has a few issues with guests and weapons," she whispered

"I'm very sorry, Ma'am, but we won't be very long." Finn and I neglected to leave our weapons at the door (and for a very good reason—we both held a deep respect for the Cyclonian before us) as we took our seats on the couch. Finn sat opposite me, I sat with the wife, and the husband sat on the other end, overlooking the three of us.

I cautiously handed the picture, the note, and the locket to the wife. "Ma'am… this was your daughters. I felt obligated to return these… and I have something I need to tell you two."

"Get on with it," the father growled.

I could hear quiet tears fall from the mother's eyes as she read the note, clutching the locket in her hand. She covered her mouth and sniffed in, flipping the page over. Finding the other side to be empty, she looked up toward Finn and I. "Excuse me, I'll just be a moment," she stated calmly, as if nothing were wrong. Standing up, the woman left the room.

Finn chose to stay quiet. I wondered if it was truly a fear or just a lack of words.

"Your daughter was not a suicidal person," I told him.

His eyes drifted to the blond. "I don't blame her for killing herself."

_So they told them she killed herself… I thought so. _"Sir, Elle was murdered."

"You're telling me… that my daughter was murdered in a guarded academy?" The man sat forward, resting his forearms on his knees.

Finn grew agitated, seeing I was potentially in danger.

"You two aren't a part of the academy. They would _never_ allow talons to have weapons like those." He eyed both my blades and Finn's crossbow. "Those are Sky Knight's weapons…" The man chuckled darkly. "Where'd you pick up those pieces of junk, anyway?" There was a false front over the laugh he had an ulterior motive, I could tell that much.

"Look, your daughter got mixed up in some dangerous business at the academy and ended up getting murdered. I don't know what _bullshit_ they told you, but she was killed! Elle would never kill herself… Finn and I were just trying to protect her."

The instant those words left my mouth, I bit them back with bitter regret.

"Finn… Finn! Ah, I remember you!" The man shot up from his chair, maneuvering around the coffee table. "One of those… wannabe Storm Hawks! That sharp-shooter! I don't know what kind of stunt you and your girlfriend here are trying to pull, but I won't hear a word of it!" The old man gripped my arm and pulled me up and off of the couch.

"Ravess told me every word… I know what happened. This was all your fault!" He screamed in my face, shoving me off toward the door. I could see Finn following close behind him, angered more and more with each passing word. "I was suspicious of the lot of you the second you stepped foot in our house. I should've known… You two can get the hell out of my house before I change my mind about killing you both!"

I tried to fit in a few words but the man kept shouting. "And don't you _dare_ come back or I won't hesitate to bring my blade out and cut you both straight down the middle."

The instant he stopped speaking, I spoke up. "Listen! Your daughter made her own choices and this wasn't our fault! Elle was tricked into confessing something she _never_ got truly involved in. Ravess pushed her off a _damn_ bridge to prove a point to the other students! We may have infiltrated the academy, but we didn't kill your daughter."

And that was the last straw. Dimetri Warden pressed his lips together and wound back his arm, and the instant he tried to take a swing at me, Finn gripped his arm.

"Hey, I could tolerate the yelling, but try and hit Kai… That's where I draw the line!"

Distracted, I pulled Aerrow's blades from my back and stood on-guard.

Now Dimetri's target was the blond, and just as I thought the boy was done-for, he pulled off an amazing stunt. Dodging each punch, Finn knocked over the man's recliner. Now propelled by pure adrenaline, Finn dodged another throw and landed a ways away from the man. Finn gave a sigh of relief and stood up, egging him on. "Come on, I would've thought better coming from a Cyclonian Talon!"

I, honestly, was stunned. I had stood by and watched as Aerrow trained for those few days I was cooped up on the ship before the academy. I watched as Aerrow trained, I watched as Finn trained. I saw the difference in their styles; I saw how well Aerrow did with close combat and the large difference in Finn's abilities with melee.

I've only seen these kind of things from my favorite red-head, but I'd never expected them from Finn.

One more lurch and Finn jumped upward, landing on his back. He kicked off of Dimetri and landed behind him. In one swift move, he kicked the man's rear and he fell forward, knocking over an end table. That's when things took another interesting turn.

"Dimetri!" Elle's mother walked in, stunned. I ran to her aid.

"Ma'am, let me explain."

Without another move from Dimetri, Finn spoke up. "You are _low_, even for a Talon. I honestly expected better! Your daughter was murdered by your own kind and it's only natural to believe them over a Storm Hawk. But you have _some nerve_ for swinging at an innocent girl! You should have _some_ dignity at the very least! Cyclonian or not, you should know damn well better than to hit a _girl_."

That's when the mother burst out into tears. "He's… he's never known better."

I glanced at a slight bruise on her face, noting it had been well covered by makeup. "I need to get you out of here," I muttered, pulling her off toward the door.

"Miss, I… I can't… I can't leave."

"He's hurting you! I won't allow it. Mrs. Warden, as a Storm Hawk, I am removing you from this household for your own safety." With that said, I opened the door and urged Finn to come with.

"No. I'm not done with this asshole."

I whined. "Ma'am… you will be fine," I coaxed. "He won't be hurting you anymore."

With a grateful look in her eye, she quickly asked a favor. "Please… just let me get a few things."

I nodded, following after her. I left Finn to take care of the brute.

"I… I just need to get a few of Trevor's things."

"Trevor?"

She nodded. "Elle's late brother… He disappeared in battle…"

"I'm so sorry…" It must've been hard, losing both of her children. I kept back the tears and stayed supportive, getting her out of the house before the man was out of Finn's grasp. "Finn… Let's go."

He nodded, kicking the man back down to the ground. Without another word, we left the house and took Mrs. Warden back to the Condor.

I took Aerrow's blades and set them on the table. "Mrs. Warden…"

"Elin, please…," she smiled.

"Elin… do you have anywhere you can go off-Lynn?"

Finn left the room, muttering about something quietly.

I sighed, fearing for the boy.

"My sister… she lives on Mesa. Miss…"

"Kai," I smiled.

"Miss Kai… You have a kind heart; thank you very much for saving me from Dimetri… but I honestly don't feel right leaving him."

I slammed my fist on the table. "Do you feel right staying behind and letting him hit you?"

The blond bit back her words.

"Elin, I cannot allow you to go back. I put your daughter in harm's way and I will not do that to her mother."

She nodded. "Much obliged… Do you mind… telling me what happened with my daughter? I feel genuinely sorry about what my husband did…"

I sat down beside Elin, telling her everything that happened. "Finn and I had infiltrated the academy to benefit our team…" I paused, waiting to see her reaction. She didn't seem displeased about that, unlike her Cyclonian husband.

"Elle was my bunkmate… I entrusted her with our secret and she promised to help us out. Elle wanted out of the academy, Elin. She would only help us if we took her with us when we left… Ravess got to her before we could escape and we were leaving that day. Ravess tied her to a bridge, kicked her off, and hung her.

"Ma'am, I know I put her in danger, but I did not kill your daughter."

Elin smiled, tears falling from her eyes. "Kai, I do not blame you for her death. My husband sent her to the academy when she was fourteen… along with her brother. When her brother graduated and she didn't, I tried to get her sent home. When Dimetri found out, he… he locked me in the basement for a week…

"He told Elle she couldn't come back unless she was a full-fledged Talon, even if she was living with my sister. He had Ravess control her leave and made her work in the kitchen. When she came of age, when we no longer had control, she didn't leave… I was surprised." She rubbed her eyes, the makeup on the bruise giving way to purple skin.

"Kai, Elle had called in a week prior to the murder and said she couldn't take it anymore and wanted out, but they wouldn't let her leave. She said if an opportunity didn't come soon, she would… she would take her own life…" The tears continued to fall.

I pulled her in and hugged her, trying my best to console the distraught mother. "So… in reality… there was nothing I could've done…"

She shook her head.

"Tell you what," I leaned back, smiling. "We're on our way to Neon as we speak. Once Aerrow and the rest come back from the rebellion… we'll take you to Mesa, it's not too far off from our destination."

She nodded, forcing a smile. "You don't know how much this means to me."

"And I'll put the word out to keep an eye on your husband. We won't let him anywhere near you or your sister."

The smile was no longer forced—Elin was truly happy now. "Thank you, Storm Hawk…" The woman set the note on the table, carefully removing the picture. "I don't know how long you and Elle were friends... but I know she must've meant a lot considering. Listen, I want you to have this... Okay? If you cared for her as much as it seems, it must've been returned ten fold. I know my Elly... she's selfless enough to put her heart and soul into anyone she calls a friend. I hope you take this picture as thanks for everything you've done for her, and everything you've done for me." She folded the wrinkled picture in half and took my hands in hers, placing the picture in my palms. Sandwiching my hands together, she held mine in hers and I watched as mixed-emotion tears rolled down her cheeks.

I set the picture on the table, leaning forward to embrace her.

I felt good… It was the first good thing I'd done under the Storm Hawk title. I saved someone who was in danger… I saved someone in a _Cyclonian _ household. And that same Cyclonian was grateful that a Storm Hawk had saved her. No, I didn't just feel good, I felt proud.

I truly felt like I belonged there, now.


	32. Neon Games

_Oh, this ought to be fun…_

_Neon Games_

_Aerrow_

"You did great, Kai," I smiled. "The rebellion was easy enough to handle, I'm just glad you made yourself useful."

Kai smiled. "It was the least I could do after what happened to Elle…"

Finn nodded, though he was oddly disturbed by the prior events.

No longer needed on Lynn as back-up arrived, we made our way toward Mesa, and Neon thereafter. Mrs. Elin Warden was in danger and Kai made the right choice by getting her out of there. "Is she still sleeping?"

Kai nodded. "Stork gave her something for her anxiety and treated her bruises. It… it was pretty bad, Aerrow."

"You should've seen the guy dealing the bruises," Finn grumbled.

I sighed. "Well, you two should get some rest. We have to pick up a huge shipment at Neon and we won't have much time to stick around and ride the rides…"

Finn sighed, grumbling as he walked out of the room.

"Is… he all right?"

Kai shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure… Finn took down Mr. Warden after he tried to take a swing at me. His little rant was something to hear, for sure. I don't know, maybe the fight deeply disturbed him? Let's just give him time… Let him off the hook tomorrow when we're loading the ship! I'll keep an eye on him while we're down at Neon."

I shook my head. "We need you to help out. Hell, we need his help as well! It's a big shipment… The good news is that we won't have to make trips. We can dock the Condor directly on Neon, so that'll save us a ton of labor."

Kai shot me a half-hearted smile. "You… get a lot of these nonsense missions, don't you…?"

I nodded. "We aren't really an official squadron… No one trusts us with the big stuff." Yawning, I stretched out my arms and headed off toward my room. "Make sure you get some rest, all right? We'll hit Mesa before the sun is up. Finn and I will take Elin to her sister's so don't worry about that but you'll need to be up by the time we get back."

Kai smiled. "Good night, Aerrow."

ooo

I wasn't all too surprised to find Kai still sleeping once we returned from Mesa, and no more surprised when Finn went back to bed. Now I was alone on the ship—Stork, Kai, Finn, Piper, Junko, Radar… they were all asleep.

I pulled out the maps to Terra Gale and examined our route, trying to see if we could take any shortcuts. With the deadline and the ETA, we were already risking it. We had absolutely no room for error… no matter how trivial the mission was.

After shaving off six days from the trip, I felt proud, but now I had to find something else to do until the others were up. We still had about two hours until we got to Neon.

I grabbed a note pad and began to jot down things that might keep me busy, though I ended up drawing Finn hanging upside-down from a Cyclonian bridge by one of his ankles. I laughed at the scene, quickly tossing the note pad aside.

One and a half hours down, thirty minutes to go.

"God, you must be bored," a tired voice entered the room.

"Yeah…," I laughed. "I'm not surprised you're the first one up."

Piper took a seat next to me, inspecting the drawing I'd made. "Hah… That's funny… Hey, Kai and Junko are up. She, uh… had another nightmare… Junko's trying to calm her down." Just as I'd lurched up from my seat, Piper pushed me back down. "Nuh-uh, lover boy. Junko's got it."

I laughed. "I'm just worried."

"Sure, you are, Aerrow. Don't pull that crap with me. I know that look, it's that look you gave me in fourth grade when you wanted my pudding cup."

I started to speak but cut myself off, knowing anything I said would dig my grave another foot. "All right, fine. Let Kai know that she needs to look over the cargo bay with Stork. It needs to be up to par, the load is going to be heavy.

Piper nodded. "Good subject change!"

I shook my head, walking into the kitchen. I examined every surface, the table, the countertops… After finding a rubber band, I opened the fridge, rummaging through the contents. Unhappy with my findings, I shut the door. I grabbed the band on the table and fumbled around with it. When my eyes caught the sink, a brilliant idea dawned on me. If I couldn't find something fun, I'd make my own.

I rushed to the sink, fiddling with the sprayer. I turned the sink on and depressed the button noting that it cut off the water entirely, diverting it to the nozzle. I smiled, shut the sink off, replaced the nozzle, and examined my workspace. I wrapped the rubber band around the nozzle so it depressed the button and returned to the fridge.

The first person in the kitchen every morning was Junko.

_This ought to be fun…_

And right on cue, the big guy walks into the kitchen. "Hey, buddy! You're up early."

"Not really," I smiled, burying my face in the fridge.

"So… We've just got Neon today, right?"

"Mhmm…" _Damn it, turn on the sink_! By then, I could see what kind of enjoyment Finn got out of doing pranks. However, this was harmless, and Finn should know better. I pulled a half-eaten sandwich from the fridge, knowing Kai had made it the day before. I knew she wouldn't mind.

I sat down at the kitchen table and unwrapped the sandwich, beginning to eat. I watched Junko as he pulled out various ingredients and mindlessly made his way over to the sink.

Three… Two… One…

"Gahh! Damn it, Finn!"

And that's when I busted out laughing. "Ha! Ha ha!"

Junko quickly turned off the sink, laughing a bit. This wasn't the first time it had happened, but the first time _I'd_ done it. "Damn it, Finn…"

"Actually," I managed to speak through the laugher. "Actually… that was me…"

Junko watched me for a moment, walking over to the table. "….Really?"

I nodded, wiping my eyes.

Reaching across the table, Junko took the sandwich. "Thanks," he smiled, walking out of the room.

I sighed. _So much for breakfast_. I stood up from the table and walked toward the cabinets, grabbing two cups. I set them both by the sink before I left the kitchen, finding Piper still sitting at the table in the helm. She smiled, watching me walk in.

"Was that you?"

I nodded, assuming she was referring to Junko.

"Way to go, Aerrow," she laughed.

I held up a hand. "Hold on… I've still got one left in me. Is Finn up yet?"

She nodded. "Kai just woke him up. He's in the bathroom."

"Good. Tell him… tell him to meet me right here when he's done. I'll, uh… I'll need the room to myself."

Piper smiled. "Hey, any prank against Finn? I'm all for it."

"Don't get me involved," Stork added. "I'm not helping you with any of this nonsense. First Finn, and now our trusted leader caught the pranking bug. Next it'll be Piper, then who knows what will happen!"

I laughed.

"I'll go tell Finn." Piper walked off.

I felt glad that someone was actually willing to help me with this. This was the first time I'd actually felt compelled to start a little mischief and I had Piper and Stork on my side.

I pulled my wallet out of my pocket, counting my cash. I had enough on me to spare, so I would set the stakes high. I stuffed a ten in my front pocket, my wallet in my back pocket, and walked back into the kitchen. I opened the fridge and grabbed the bottle of fruit punch filling up the two glasses I'd set out before. Replacing the juice in the fridge, I returned to the helm and set the glasses on the table. I set the palm of my hand on the table, the glass on the back of my hand, and waited for Finn.

Two minutes later, the blond walked in. "Piper, uh… said you wanted to see me…"

"Yeah! Take a look at _this_." With my free hand, I pointed to the glass balanced on top of my other.

"… It's a glass… filled with juice… what about it?" Finn was losing confidence in the importance of the conversation.

"I can _balance _this glass on my hand! Isn't it cool?" By then I was even starting to scare myself.

"All right, I think you've officially lost your mind." He reached for the glass, setting it beside my hand. "Just… sit down… I'll go… Stork?!"

"What?! I told you to leave me out of this!"

He sighed.

"No! Okay, listen. I bet… I bet that you can't balance one on the back of each of your hands."

Finn laughed smugly. This was an offer he couldn't pass up. Good thing he was focused on the triteness of it than the details. "All right, if I can, what do I get?"

"Ten bucks."

He nodded. "All right!"

"Put your hands on the table face-down." Once they were firmly against the surface, I placed a glass on top of each hand and smiled. "Huh…" I pulled the ten out of my pocket and threw it on the table. "Guess you can do it." I patted his back and laughed. "That's for taking a pass at Kai." And with that said I walked off.

"Wait… Hey! That was cheap!"

"No… That's how you pull off the perfect prank." And the best part? To free himself and get that ten… he'll have to spill the juice.

ooo

With Neon in our sights, Stork stalled the ship. "Are you guys going to head out first? It might… take me a while to get the Condor authorized…"

I nodded. "It's fine. I'm sure it won't take that long."

He nodded, pushing the ship off once more. What sounded like a startling malfunction in the engine soon turned out to be odd static on the PA system. "I'll… go check the fuse box!" Stork offered. But before he got too far, an all-too familiar voice rose through the speakers.

"Hey, ah… Storm Hawks… Put that red-headed girlie of yours on the radio…"

Piper looked at me, confused. "All right, that's enough Aerrow. I think that's enough pranks."

"…That's… not me."

Piper was now stunned.

Kai stuttered, "M-me? Why me? What does he want?"

"Do you know who that is?" I asked, unsure myself.

She shook her head.

Stork, having left for the communications room, came rushing back with a grim look upon his face. "Uh Aerrow…? That's the Dark Ace…"

Kai, close enough to the table, slowly reached out for a chair, her eyes glazed over. "He's here… for me?"

"Finn, lock the hangar door and secure the turret. If you see any sign of a Talon, shoot. Stork, put this thing into over-drive. Junko, get out there and secure the perimeter. No one is to touch the radio, you understand me?"

"You seven are idiots, you know that?" the Dark Ace laughed. "This isn't just a one-way thing here. That's right… I can hear your every word, your every breath… the slightest movement…"

_How,_ was the question.

"Look, Dark Ace, I don't know what kind of stunt you're trying to pull here but there's no chance in hell you can get on the Condor. You can't get to Kai!" I waved to Finn and Junko, signaling them to follow my prior orders.

The two nodded, quickly leaving. Once Junko was on his skimmer and out the hangar door, Finn secured it behind him before rushing to the turret.

"See, that's where you're wrong. But I'm not about to break into the Condor… No matter the upgrades that foolish Merb may have made, you've forgotten that I know that ship inside, out. Getting in would be a snap… but that's not what I want. Kai will leave the ship of her own free will. Why? Because I know your girlfriend has a soft-spot in her heart for me."

I slowly glanced toward Kai, who was having a mental breakdown. She persisted in hitting her head against the table, muttering nonsense to herself through the tears. I couldn't stand it. I promised her this would never happen again. I promised I would never let the Dark Ace get to her… She would never have to go through it again. Everything I had built up, all of the processes we went through to rid her of the nightmares…

I won't have my efforts be in vain.

"She's crying…," the Talon muttered.

"You're not getting to Kai. She's not coming off this ship. I don't care if our shipment is late, I won't put Kai at risk."

"Damn it, Aerrow!" Kai cried. "Just… Just let me go…"

The talon chuckled. "Yeah, Aerrow. Just let her go…"

I glanced up, pressing my lips together. This… this is what happens? She made me _promise_ not to make her face the Dark Ace again… And she's going to willingly step off the ship into his hands? I slammed my fist onto the table. "FINN?!"

The boy rushed in, sliding across the floor, panicked. "What?!"

"Go with her… to Neon…" I stood Kai up and pushed her toward Finn. "Don't let her drive."

Finn, confused and concerned, agreed with my orders nonetheless. Finn led Kai off the Condor on his Skimmer, I watched them as they flew through the air.

"Good boy, Aerrow. Too bad you never learn when to keep your team back on base…" Dark Ace laughed, followed by a solemn click. The static returned for only a moment more before our PA system was ours again.

I slowly sat down at the table, resting my head on the surface. I slammed my fist on the table, hitting my head over and over again before Piper stopped me.

"Aerrow…"

_Kai_

"Listen, Blondie!" The Talon even had control of Finn's radio. "Drop her off on Neon. Kai and I are going to go on a little scavenger hunt… You follow her, you die."

"Finn… It's all right," I comforted him. "I'll be fine." I knew this was going to be hell, but I couldn't just ignore it, however. I couldn't stay on the ship and ignore something that could turn out to benefit me. Aerrow… Aerrow would never see the point of it—he could never have seen the good that could possibly come of it.

And if I was right… Ace wasn't in this to kill me, or anyone else.

Once the blond dropped me off on Neon, he embraced me for fear he would never see me again. "Why are you doing this, Kai?"

I sighed. "Because I owe him my life." _We were never even…_ I watched Finn fly back to the Condor, leaving me with thick tension in the air. I looked at the radio in my hand and awaited my next instructions.

"You look good today," the talon laughed.

"And you are a pedophile."

"Oooh," he cringed. "If only you knew my reasoning, Storm Hawk…"

I sniffed in, rubbing my face.

"Oh come on, don't cry, Kai… if that is your real name. Zaria Everett, was it?"

"It's Kai _bloody_ Everett!" I shouted into the receiver. "Stop playing games with me. Where the hell are you?" I scanned my environment, searching every rooftop, every coaster railing, every snack stand…

"Don't sweat it, kid. You'll see me soon enough," he chuckled. "Since you're so eager…"

"Piss off," I growled.

"Hey, hey… take it easy. Go buy yourself a cotton candy and get in line for the Thunderbolt! Maybe a ride will get you to stop crying if the candy doesn't."

Ignoring the snack, I followed his instructions and maneuvered my way around Neon. Finding the one called "Thunderbolt," I stood in line and waited. "What's the point of this?"

"Don't you want to have a little fun? Come on, this is Terra Neon, for God's sake! Ugh… Fine, ruin it for me…"

"You're immature, you know that?" I scoffed.

"Tell that to blondie. He's following you…"

"You touch him and I swear you will _never_ have children!"

Ace sighed. "… Fine. Lose him, turn around and take a left. Go to the Illusionist."

I smiled, "You lied! You were never going to touch him… If I asked you to kill Cyclonis, you would fall to your knees and do what I asked. You're weak!" I weaved through the crowd, searching for the so-called "Illusionist."

I stood in front of a side-show portable building, decked out with animatronics and painted paneling. I sighed. "You're sending me… into a house of mirrors?"

Ace laughed.

"You know, I already have depth perception issues. This is just redundant!"

"If you're nice, I'll give you a map…"

I rolled my eyes, entering the maze. "I don't know if this is reinforcing a vain outlook on life, considering I'm surrounded by _me_." As I stepped further into the maze, I was surrounded more and more by myself yet I felt more and more alone. Ace's voice wasn't there with every jeer…

At one point after running into a mirror, I turned around and leaned against it, sighing. "I'm… alone now, aren't I?"

His voice was quiet, "You're never truly alone."

I held the radio to my ear, noting the sound hadn't come from the machine. I shook it a few times, wondering if I was growing past the point of insanity.

I looked up, seeing the dimmed reflection of the Talon, leaning against a mirror as well. His reflection spread around the room like a virus and with the poor light, it was almost impossible to tell the original from the copies. I searched for the double reflection, the talon standing in front of a mirror… but nothing. No matter what I did, what angle I took, I couldn't find the original.

"What are you trying to pull here, Ace?"

"What, I can't see how my old friend is doing?"

"We were never friends…" I spun around on my heel, still searching for the man. "That was nothing more than an illusion."

"Illusion!" he laughed. "Ha! Like this…?" The reflection in the mirror reached toward me. "Listen. You couldn't stand to live a day without your precious Aerrow. Or is that Finn…?" He watched me closely. "Ah… young love. So confused… I've kept a close eye on you, Kai. You would be a great asset to me if you were ever to return to the academy."

"Not a _damn_ chance. If you've been watching me so closely, have you _seen_ what that academy has done? The… the pain it's put me through? The nightmares…," I struggled as the tears began to fall, "The… the nightmares I wake up screaming from every night…"

I hid my face from the mirrors, hiding the tears. This argument wasn't over and tears would call the end of it.

"If you felt so strongly as to… to stalk me… You should know why I wouldn't think twice about ripping your head from your body! You should know why I'll never go back to the Talon Academy…"

"Ha! You're naïve! You're weak. You can't take the pain so you give up. Maybe I was wrong…"

"You bastard!" I screamed, charging toward the opposing mirror. I smashed Finn's radio into the glass, shattering it. I moved on to the next one, and the next one, the tears falling faster now. I would get my hands on him, I would bash his skull in with my bare hands if I had to… I would take the glass shards and rake them through every inch of his skin, but it all started with a mirror.

Mirror after mirror, the Talon was unmoved, unharmed. This was a war I would never win.

I smashed the last mirror my bloodied hand could take, sobbing loudly as I slid down to the floor. "You have no idea the pain and misery you've caused me!" I screamed, my head falling into my hands. The blood dripped down my cheek, the glass in my hand setting nerves off like live wires. I gripped onto my bangs and cried, daring to rip the hair from my scalp at the roots.

A hand rested on my shoulder and I jerked back, threatening to rip the limb from whoever owned it. "Don't touch me!"

The man squatted down next to me, moving the shattered glass aside with a gloved hand.

"You better be five terras away by the time I calm down or you won't see the outside of this sideshow."

"Kai."

"Go."

"Listen to me."

"GO!"

"…I'm sorry."

ooo

I clutched my sides and trudged back through the hangar door. I knew what I was in for. The blood still dripped from my hand, soaking into my clothes.

Aerrow was not too far behind. The second tires hit the landing strip, he was waiting for me, and he wasn't too happy with the guest I brought along. "Kai—"

"Let him go."

"Kai, you—"

"Let. Him. Go."

Ace chuckled, saluting his rival. "Goodbye… Aerrow…" And the man took his leave without another word.

I slammed the hangar door shut, exposing my raw hand to the light. The following actions on Aerrow's part were quite surprising.

He _finally_ saw my side.

"What happened?" he asked. For once it was concerned, not forced or spoken to seek revenge.

"I smashed a few mirrors… Do you mind helping me out?"

He nodded, walking me over to the table.

I gave him a half-hearted smile and a quiet laugh. "You can ask, Aerrow."

Stork rushed a First-Aid kit to the table. Aerrow pulled out a white rag and began to mop up the blood from my skin. "You know… for once, I don't want to ask… I don't want to know what happened… but I want to know why you left…"

I looked up toward the red-head. "I owe the Dark Ace my life… And he knew I was obligated to do what he said. _Without_ force."

Aerrow remained quiet and simply not argumentative.

I smiled. "For once… for once, you're the hero."

He glanced up from my hand in a questioning manner.

"Thank you for not asking…"

He smiled, nodding.

"But you want to know… Aerrow, I know you better than that," I laughed. "I… fell off a cliff on Cyclonia… and Ace saved me. He used that against me and he probably will do it again."

"_**You may owe me your life… But that doesn't mean I'll take it from you without a fair fight."**_

Aerrow looked at me. "And you felt it was safe to follow his orders? Kai, he could've killed you."

"_**What? Is… is it a crime to check up on my apprentice?"**_

"_**I'm **_**not**_** your apprentice. I'm nothing like you, I never will be."**_

"I know," I smiled. "I know he could've done much worse than cause me to smash my own hand open." I rested my uninjured hand on his shoulder. "But… don't you think if he wanted to kill me, he would've outright done it? Aerrow… The Dark Ace is direct. He wouldn't drag it out if he had the chance to openly kill me."

"_**You're more like a Talon than a Storm Hawk than you realize, Kai…"**_

Aerrow hummed. "You have a point."

"_**Take me back. TAKE. ME. BACK! NOW!"**_

"If I thought there was ever a chance that I wouldn't come back, that I would never be able to see you again…" I stopped, blushing as I corrected myself. "If I ever thought there was a chance that I would never see any of you again… I would've never done it."

"_**Fine… But think of this when you make your final decision, Kai… Is there ever truly a right or a wrong? Who's to say you aren't the one in the wrong? What if I'm the good guy?"**_

"_**You can justify murder as good deed? I'd like to see the evidence that supports that. Ace, why don't you take your head out of your ass and see that what you're doing is **__wrong_**?! The day you do that is the day that I'll believe Cyclonia is in the right. Take me back to the Condor before I slit your throat with a shard of glass."**

Aerrow smiled. "You're getting better at this, you know."

"Considering I saw no danger in what I had done and you did? Yeah… I'd say I'm learning pretty fast."

And though Ace hadn't threatened me with my life, he threatened to turn around everything I'd ever come to know as truth. That struck a raw nerve… But it was over. It was done with and I was safe… I wanted to pretend like it never happened and Aerrow was glad to make that a reality.

Stork stitched up my hand once Aerrow fished out the shattered glass.

It was over. It was done.

_This never happened_…


	33. The Start of Trouble

_The Start of Trouble_

_Aerrow_

I think I handled the situation quite well. I had the enemy on my ship. I had him in my grasp… And Kai forced me to let him go. I'm handling my newfound rage amazingly well. After hours of packing the ship with mysterious cargo, Stork set a course for Terra Gale.

Finn met up with us on the loading dock, but he didn't look too happy. He seemed concerned for Kai's safety, but was quite relieved when he found out she was all right.

"Hey, Aerrow… Can I talk to you?"

I glanced at Finn. "What? Do you want to trade tens? I'm sure that one got sticky…" I laughed. The trick with the juice glasses must've, at the very least, stained the money I gave him.

Finn growled, "No… I want to get even. You said that prank was for flirting with Kai? Who says I can't?"

"I do!"

"Why don't we let Kai have the say, eh?" he laughed. "Let's make a bet of it. First person who can get a kiss from her… wins."

I turned around. I could've guessed he was interested in Kai… but I didn't think it was to this extent. "Oh? Wins what?"

"Kai."

"Huh… I think this is honestly the best idea you've had. So, what happens when _I_ win?"

He narrowed his gaze. "When _I_ win, you can't touch her. You can't even think about her the way you do now. Understand?"

"Fine, just know that this will put an end to your flirting with her…"

"I guess we should lay down some rules."

I nodded. "Um…. She has to kiss you."

"Agreed. And out of her own will—no forcing her."

"Obviously… No interfering with the other's chances to change the odds."

Begrudgingly, he agreed. "So… what if she ends up not liking either of us? At what point do we give up?"

That question was entirely Finn. Most people would know when to give up… Finn was not one of them. "You'll know," I told him, hoping that would put an end to the question, saving me the time of explaining a complicated answer.

Finn shot me a glare. "This starts _now_." The blond soon trudged off.

I sighed. I felt like it was going to be too easy. Kai already showed some interest in me… how hard would getting a kiss be? I doubted it would take longer than the trip to Gale to call the end of the bet. I walked out of the room, in search of Kai. It wasn't too unlikely Finn would be going to do the same, the question was however, who would reach her first?

ooo

The next morning, after a surprisingly uneventful day on either side, I was the first one up. The ship is always quiet early in the morning—the controls are on autopilot, the lights are all off, the shades are still down in the helm, everything is locked down… Being alone in the morning isn't uncommon—being the leader, I always took the responsibility to ready everything we would need for the day and oversee that everything played out right.

I had the upper-hand. Finn always got up last… and it looked as if I wasn't alone. As I walked into the helm, passing the controls, I stepped through the doorway and examined our skimmers. Just past the metal beasts gave way to the hangar door… which was jarred open. Stalled in the sky, the landing strip was as safe as the rest of the ship. I didn't have to worry about wind knocking me over. I passed through the door and noticed Kai on the edge. With a smile, I proceeded forward, careful not to startle her.

"You know, you're terrible at sneaking up on someone!" she laughed. "This is the second time you've done this and I've heard you both times."

Taking a seat next to her, I smiled. "The point was _not_ to scare you."

"Oh…"

"I can't have you falling off…" Glancing downward, I noticed we'd drifted over Blizzaris, the air possessing a deathly chill. I quickly stood back up and rushed into the Condor, making my way from the hangar to her room, and back. I stepped back through the door and onto the landing strip, stopping behind Kai. I threw a warm blanket over her shoulders before sitting back down.

"I thought you left me out here alone," she giggled.

"It's freezing out here… I don't want you to die of hypothermia."

Smiling, she took the blanket off, handing it back to me. "I'm fine…"

"Kai, you're wearing a skirt, you have no shoes or socks on, and your arms are bare. I doubt you're warm in the least." I replaced the blanket over her shoulders, wrapping it around her.

"Such a worrywart… Fine. Under one condition…"

"Hm?"

"I don't want you to die either." She reached out, wrapping the blanket around me as well.

"Hey! I have a jacket! I'll be fine."

She raised a brow, scooting closer to me. "And you're complaining… why?"

I bit back my words. "You're right. I don't want to die."

Closing her eyes, she smiled as she leaned against me. "I thought so…"

I smiled as well. It looked like I would win the bet faster than I thought… and I would have Finn off my back in no time. "Are… are you hungry?" I asked quietly.

She sat up, looking at me. "Why so helpful all of a sudden?"

I stuttered, "I… I-I'm just curious… I was… I was going to make sandcakes…"

Laughing, she rested her head on my shoulder once more. "Well, if you're making them, I wouldn't mind having some."

"Kai… Can I ask you something?"

She smiled softly. "Sure. Anything…"

Changing my mind, afraid to take the risk and ask, I quickly tried to think of something else. "Uh… No… never mind…"

Looking toward me, she seemed disappointed. Sighing, she relaxed against my arm and closed her eyes. "I… I can't feel my toes…," she laughed.

"Pull your feet up, then! Why aren't you wearing socks?"

"Cause you're not my mother!" She rolled her eyes, kicking her feet through the air.

"I don't want you to get frostbite. We don't have anything to fix that…"

"You got water?"

I nodded.

"Then you can fix it. Let me know if my toes turn blue, cause I'm not giving this moment up unless a medical emergency requires it."

Forcing Kai to come back inside was much more difficult than expected. Sure, I got her to stand up, but when she refused to walk I was forced to carry her. I didn't mind that… But in sitting down, even Piper could tell her toes needed attention.

"They look… dead, to be honest. How long were you out there?"

"Couple hours…"

Shocked, Piper sat down and took the conversation in a serious direction. "Without socks... the entire time? Do you know how _dangerous_ that is?"

Kai nodded. "I'm not stupid, I was just lazy."

"WHICH WAS STUPID!"

"Blah, blah, blah. I don't care… Can you fix them?"

Her expression flat, Piper stood up. "No. Have your boyfriend do it," she spoke dryly, glaring at me before exiting the room.

"You heard the lady!" Kai giggled, kicking her feet up into my lap.

Blushing lightly at Piper's choice of words, I assessed the situation nonetheless. "I should get some water… You should get some socks." I carefully lifted her feet from my lap, but she refused, resisting.

"Can't you do it yourself?"

I looked at my hands. "My hands would freeze before your feet warmed up."

She smiled. "So?"

Sighing, I removed her feet from my lap anyway. "I'm going to go get you some socks and a tub of water…"

Disappointed, Kai watched me leave the room.

Once hidden from her view, I hit my head repetitively against the wall. I just wanted to help, but she didn't care about her feet. She was trying to make light of things and I screwed it up. Damn…

Even after the incident, I did my best to get Kai's feet back to temperature. Luckily, they weren't damaged and she could move and feel each of her toes. With that situation aside, I tried to escape Kai for the rest of the day, in hopes to save my chances and prevent any more screw-ups. But that didn't stop Finn…


	34. Frost

_Lana will like this chapter, she's been waiting for it for a while (and she was the inspiration as well)._

_Frost_

_Kai_

The week we were required to fly the shipment out to Gale was _absolutely_… strange… After I regained feeling in my feet, Aerrow seemed to disappear. However, Finn… Finn had more interest in me than ever. I wasn't sure which I appreciated more, that Aerrow was worried about screwing up and getting me hurt, or that Finn was so interested in keeping me entertained.

In fact, he was so interested in my boredom, he didn't stop to think about the possible consequences.

"Listen, if we sneak in while she's eating lunch, she will never know we were in there!"

"I don't know about this, Finn…," I sighed. "It seems dangerous. Like… legitimately dangerous."

"What? Come on… Look, it'll be fun, I've done this a million times."

"This? Or other pranks?"

Stuttering, Finn looked away, "Ah… uh… No. No…? Kai, can we just try this? I promise you won't be bored after this is done."

Honestly, as scared as I was, I didn't want to just throw the idea out of the window. I was bored, I hadn't yet figured out what there was to do on the ship and I was willing to do just about anything to keep busy. Finn seemed to know the ropes, so I stuck with him. Not that I had much of a choice…

I knew rejecting his invitation would screw me out of a good time, but accepting it would get me in trouble.

I sighed and continued onward, listening to his instructions. "What exactly are we looking for?"

"Well, I managed to swipe the Frost crystal directly after Piper was done doing tests on you, but the other she has locked away. You watched her put it away, maybe you know where she kept it."

"What crystal is it?"

"The unstable chroma crystal."

That's when all hopes for stopping boredom fled my mind. I knew I had to get out of this—whatever Finn had in mind was going to be dangerous. "I want out. I'm not going to have any part of this."

Finn turned around, gripped my arm, and looked me dead in the eye. "Oh, yes you are. You're helping me with this."

I managed to free myself, spinning around. With Finn caught off-guard, I smacked him. "Don't you _ever_ hurt me like that." I rubbed my arm, beginning to walk away.

For a moment he was silent, but then he spoke the exact words that would pull be back into the hell I'd escaped from, "Aren't you curious? Did you ever wonder why we told you to put the crystal down?"

I turned back around and charged toward the boy, facing him directly. "If I get hurt, if there's even a scratch on me when this is all said and done… I won't hesitate to say whatever I have to just to get Aerrow to kill you."

He scoffed, "So he's, like, what, your boyfriend now? Do you run to him every time something goes wrong?"

"Think of it this way. Aerrow is probably the most rational person on the ship. If I can convince _him_ to kill you, there must've been a good reason behind it."

"Yeah, well, I'm not exactly Aerrow's favorite person right now. I'm sure if you told him I ate his lunch he would throw me off the ship while we're still flying…" Finn shoved the frost crystal my way. "Hold this, I'll go get the damn Chroma crystal."

I held the frost crystal close, feeling the heat gradually sucked from my veins. This crystal had a mind of its own, and with one wrong intention, I could be dying of hypothermia before anyone could blink. With a pure heart, Elle never had to worry about that. Though she was born of Cyclonian blood, she never wished for any of it.

I could feel her spirit run through the crystal, wishing she hadn't met such a gruesome fate. However, it really was the coup de grâce… They won that battle and we fled with our tails between our legs, even if we had taken out an entire underground Talon hideout.

Finn backed out of the crystal lab, his eyes wide with victory. "Here… She didn't do much to hide it…" As he began to hand it to me, I stepped back. "Finn, I'm not touching that thing so long as I'm holding the frost crystal."

He rolled his eyes. "That's half of the fun! Come on, we'll go to my room."

Hidden behind four walls and a locked door, somehow Finn thought that made this okay. He was determined to perform his own little experiment on me and I was none-too happy. I was honestly afraid of the end result. What if I was safe the first time around? Sure it left no effects behind, but what if something went wrong? What if Finn, being Finn, changed up the variables and I ended up dead?

I wanted no part in this… but afraid or not… I was still curious.

Finn thought he was so smart—he thought he would actually get away with this… And by the time he'd begun planning it out, I was in too deep to pull myself out of it and leave.

"I have my own stash of crystals," he laughed, pulling out an old, flimsy cardboard box. He took a look inside, "Okay, sure they're mostly cooking crystals, but I'm sure there's something useful in here." Eager hands filed through the crystals, reaching the bottom in a fruitless search, until he grabbed a rather odd crystal. "I remember this one…"

I set the frost crystal down, next to the Chroma crystal. "What is it?"

"It's an old Leecher we found in some old ship wreckage. Leech crystals should be extremely dangerous… I don't think this one works anymore, seeing as the other crystals are still fine…" He set down the Leech crystal, searching through the box again.

"Ha ha, Paralyzers!" he smiled, digging out three small blue crystals.

"What exactly are you looking for?"

"Something interesting, I guess. Ah ha! Dude, look at this!"

I leaned forward, glancing into the box.

"These are so cool! They're especially awesome to use on-stage and freak everyone out during a concert…" He covered up the Rainbow Smoke Crystal in search for any other interesting ones, giving up when the searched proved to be yet again fruitless.

"What are you trying to gain from this?"

"Well, you looked pretty cool holding that Frost crystal and that Chroma crystal, I don't think we should leave those questions unanswered."

I was afraid of the Chroma crystal _before_ I knew it could do any damage. I was still afraid of it…

Finn shoved the Chroma crystal in my hand and asked me 'nicely' to pick up the frost crystal with my other. It took some trying but I finally got my body to respond. Upon grasping the cold crystal, my hands began to burn, a sharp pain running through my veins. This was new, this was something I'd never expected.

"Kai, trust me when I tell you not to look at your hands, okay?" he smiled, a bit afraid, himself. "Just… just look at me, or… or close your eyes." I could hear it in his voice—he wanted desperately to tell me to put the crystal down. He was afraid, but like me, he was also curious.

"Um… H-hold onto this, if you can…"

Having closed my eyes, I had no idea what he was trying to get me to hold. And how could I? My hands were full…

I clenched the hand holding the Chroma crystal, my fear growing when I found that hand to be empty. To my knowledge, Finn hadn't taken the crystal from me, and I hadn't dropped it. He dropped another crystal into my hand, and I took in a sharp breath, my eyes shooting open. I gripped onto Finn's shirt and begged for him to make it stop.

The next thing I remember was opening my eyes slowly, my vision blurry. Mixed chatter flowed around me.

"No one touch her, do you understand me?" I couldn't even distinguish voices…

"Did you say _Leech_? Where the _hell_ did you get one of those?"

"I might have an idea…"

I groaned, rolling over.

"I'm sorry, if you fall off, I can't catch you…"

"Shut up, Finn!"

What was I lying on? Fall off? "What's going on?" I mumbled, trying my hardest to form intelligent words.

"You're lucky she didn't lose her speech!" Voices were becoming clearer, rationality was still hard to question.

"Aerrow? Aerrow!" I called out, trying to find the redhead.

Someone rushed in front of me. "I'm right here. Kai—Kai… Don't... Don't touch me"

Even his words meant nothing. He was there—he couldn't stop me from doing what I wanted. I touched his face, running my fingers over his eyes, his lips… With my vision still highly impaired, I had to know it was him.

"It's me…," he spoke quietly, smiling. He rested his hand against my own.

"W-what's going on?"

"Aerrow, don't—" That was Piper's voice. The usual protocol-following manner she held was quickly pushed away. With no visible harm being done, Piper kept her words to herself.

Aerrow's smile disappeared, but quickly returned, his lips curling into a smile beneath my hands. "I can't explain what happened… We know Finn messed with some crystals but he says he has absolutely no idea what exactly went wrong. Piper's trying to work it out, but we're definitely going to need your side of the story."

"Can I ask you something?" I whispered to him.

"Sure," he whispered back.

I looked down, though that was a useless action. "Why am I so unlucky?"

He laughed. "You're a Storm Hawk now… These things aren't uncommon when in proximity to Finn."

"Hey! I wasn't _trying_ to get her hurt!"

His brow tugged together.

"Aerrow…," I called, worried. "I… I can't see anything clearly…"

"Piper said you shouldn't be able to. Listen, it won't last long and it will leave suddenly, okay? So try not to worry about it."

"Am I going to be okay?"

The skin around his eyes tugged in the direction he looked—downward. I knew that answer. "I'm… I'm not sure, Kai…"

I removed my hands from his face and threw my arms around him, burying my face in his shoulder. I didn't want to cry, but knowing I was safe in his arms, that he was here, I couldn't help but let the tears fall.

Whatever had happened to me, it was bad enough to scare everyone away from me. Piper was making sure no one touched me, for whatever reason. I had a feeling that she knew more than what she was telling everyone… The question was, was she hiding it from me, or hiding it from the others?

When Piper began to shoo everyone from the room, I demanded that Aerrow stay with me. Begrudgingly, she allowed it. She ordered Junko to keep an eye on the prisoner—Finn.

Aerrow pulled himself up, sitting beside me on Piper's lab desk.

"What's going on?" I asked her.

"You tell me," she said smugly.

I sighed, growing annoyed with my lack of vision. "Finn conned me into helping him out with an experiment. I tried to leave and he wouldn't let me… Like, physically wouldn't let me." Aerrow grew tense with every passing word. "He locked us up in his room and dug through this… this crystal stash he's got."

Piper muttered something to herself.

Remembering I threatened Finn earlier if I'd gotten hurt, I knew what I said would determine his punishment. So I was careful what I said—I would make sure he got the worst of it. But somehow… I couldn't bring myself to exaggerate the situation. As mad as I was at the boy, I couldn't lie. "I helped him. I didn't want to, but I helped him. I held the Chroma and Frost crystals in my hands and he made me promise not to look at my hands. I remember the Chroma crystal was in my hand and then it was gone. It's like it just… disappeared into thin air."

"Not exactly," she corrected me. "Your body absorbed the crystal. Unlike a stable Chroma crystal that would've turned to dust after you used it at the Academy… This one was highly unstable. The extra power in the crystal allowed it to stay together. It had one last use in it. Combining that crystal with the Frost crystal screwed with the integrity entirely. Chroma crystals are grown with the intent to bond with your genetic make-up—that crystal went overboard and entered your system entirely. You are basically a walking crystal-powered human being at the moment.

"However, when Finn introduced the Leech crystal, no matter how drained he thought it was, it got sucked into your system as well. Knowing Leech crystals, they're grown to drain or suck out the power from other crystals. However, it had something of an odd effect. With the instability of the Chroma crystal combined with its powers, everything you touch has the potential to be absorbed into your body."

Suddenly, my vision returned. A visible effect must've worn off as well, seeing Piper was startled. "Contrary to what Finn has told you, you can look at your hands. You can look at your arms. Kai, you're not going to like what you see."

I knew better than to look when I wasn't prepared for the result.

Seeing the hesitation, she continued. "You trust me, right?" When I agreed, she stood up in search of something. "Listen, I know what I'm doing, and unlike Finn I _know_ this won't hurt you. Do you still trust me?"

"I don't think anything worse could happen."

"Aerrow, you trust me, right?"

He nodded.

"Hold onto this." She handed me a familiar crystal, something Finn called a 'Paralyzer.'

I reached out for the crystal, seeing foreign color on my skin. I decided not to question it (to save myself the extra stress) and gripped onto the crystal.

"Huh… Okay… Try to make the crystal disappear."

I laughed, "Piper—"

"Don't laugh, just do it. I'm being serious."

I looked at the crystal, trying my hardest. Still, nothing happened. "What are you trying to—"

"I'm trying to get you to absorb the crystal."

"I'm sick of all these tests!" I growled, gripping onto the crystal tighter. "I'm sick of all this bull shit. None of this was ever supposed to happen to me! My hand is still in _stitches_ from smashing a mirror. I'm still emotionally disturbed from the Academy. I'm _afraid_. I just—"

"Kai… Kai!" Piper called, trying to grasp my attention. "The crystal's gone…"

"Anger," Aerrow stated.

Piper was quick to agree. "That's Leech related… Aerrow, look at her eyes… All of this is connected to the Leech crystal. Her eyes, her skin, her hands… That glowing effect? When a Leech crystal threatens to explode, it glows white… Kai's rage triggered the absorption of the Paralyzer crystal. I'll have to monitor this to find out the connection between the two…"

"I'm right here…," I reminded her.

Piper looked up. "Kai, somehow… somehow you have the ability to absorb crystals into your skin. Do you still trust me?" she asked, looking at Aerrow.

He nodded.

"Kai… try to transfer that crystal to Aerrow."

"But—"

"Don't question it! Just do it."

I whined, reaching for Aerrow's hand. Intertwining our fingers, he gripped tightly onto my hand, concerned. I closed my eyes and sighed, awaiting a result.

Aerrow's hand grew limp, and Piper cheered.

"This is incredible!"

"What just happened?" I pushed myself off of the desk, frantically searching for an answer. Aerrow was currently immobile, and it seemed to be my doing. I grabbed his hand and lifted it up—no resistance was found. I'd somehow paralyzed Aerrow.

"Try to take it back." Piper was now entirely ecstatic.

Desperately, I wished for nothing more than to have Aerrow back. He was so lifeless—I felt so guilty.

Suddenly, the boy moved, wrapping his arms around me. "It's okay, I'm fine."

Piper laughed triumphantly. "This… this is absolutely incredible…"

Freeing myself from Aerrow, I turned around and charged toward Piper, pinning her against the wall by her neck. "You better tell me what the hell is going on…" I looked deep into her tawny eyes for an answer. Suddenly, the odd black markings on my hand and forearm began to glow, and Piper began to plea, begging for me to let go.

Aerrow shot up from the desk. He began to pry me away from Piper, but the instant his hand touched my skin, he backed off, in pain.

Markings identical to the ones on my hand gradually began to appear on Piper's skin, crawling up from the sides of her neck, up toward her face. She scratched at my hand around her neck, begging for me to stop. The grip I had around her neck wasn't enough to stop her breathing, but whatever was causing the markings to glow was no doubt causing her pain.

Realizing just exactly what I was doing, I let go of Piper. She quickly slid to the floor, limp and unresponsive. I looked at my hands, examining the markings. The glow quickly faded, returning the markings to a tattoo-black. I looked at Aerrow, backing up. "What the hell is going on…?"

"Kai, listen to me… you have to calm down, okay?"

"I… I can't…" I continued to back out of the room away from Aerrow. I didn't want to hurt anyone. I didn't want to be like this… I just wanted to be home where I was safe… I ran away as fast as I could, climbing onto the nearest Skimmer. I left.

I didn't want to be there.


	35. The Interceptor

_The Interceptor_

_Kai_

I wasn't in the air long before I found a decent place of land. If memory serves, I saw something on Aerrow's maps that named this place 'Tranqua'—uninhabited, very humid, yet peaceful and quiet. I leaned my Skimmer up against a tree and made my way to the nearest lake, sitting on the edge.

I now had time to examine just exactly what had happened to me. My skin was painted with black markings—I looked like the circuit boards powering the Condor! Glancing at my reflection in the water, I could see the markings curl up one side of my neck and no further. My eyes held a faint glow, no longer that brilliant green I was born with, but bright silver—foreign and unnatural.

Just the thought of what had happened angered me. With the passing rage, the markings on my arms and hands gradually began to glow, the light crawling from my upper arms down to my fingertips. I closed my eyes and tried to shoo away the rage. Rage… It was all centered around rage. Rage triggered the absorption, rage made me hurt Piper. However, when I had attacked Piper, my rage was magnified. I'd never felt so mad…

I was never a violent person. Something inside of me had caused the rage. It could've been any of the crystals now lurking in my genes. Piper said something about the Leech crystal and violence. I took that as truth and decided not to question it.

I wanted absolutely nothing to do with this—I didn't want to hurt anyone anymore. I just wanted to be home on Atmosia, curled up on the couch or working in my garden while I waited for Dad to come back from work.

I closed my eyes and cried, the tears freezing as they hit he skin on my legs. My eyes shot open with the mysterious change. I scraped the small droplet of ice from my skin and examined it. Nothing was normal anymore… None of this was supposed to happen to me! I was Kai Everett. I was a human from Atmosia. I was never destined for anything more than a life of a house-wife, taking care of whoever I was supposed to marry.

Then Aerrow came along and changed everything.

I depend on him, now. I depended on him to be there when I wake up, screaming from the nightmares caused by the incident at the Academy. I depended on him to be there to stop the bleeding when Ace decided to show his face. I depended on him to comfort me when Finn screwed up and turned me into a monster…

I then proceeded to laugh at myself. I'd been so sheltered from the world, being forced to look after the house while father was at work, I couldn't handle it when something went wrong. Looking back, nothing that had happened was honestly that bad. Sure, I may come out of everything emotionally scarred, but I was handling everything like a child!

I suppose my age was an excuse in the eyes of others, Aerrow's comfort was an excuse on my part, but there truly was no excuse in reality. I needed to man up and accept that if something happens, I have to take the consequences without question.

But for the time being, I couldn't get the tears to stop.

"What are you doing on this terra?!"

Startled, I quickly turned around, losing my balance. I began to slip off the ledge down toward the lake, but the girl behind me managed to rush over and grab my wrist. "Thanks," I breathed. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you this is the second time this month that this has happened…"

"I might. You look a bit clumsy."

"Hah, yeah… And I proceed to sit on precarious ledges. It's really my fault, I'm asking for it." I readjusted myself back on the ledge, facing the ledge once more.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, taking a seat next to me. "You're… a Storm Hawk… You're not supposed to be out here, anyway! Aren't you on your way to Gale?"

I nodded. "There was an incident back on the ship and I ran away… I can leave if I'm not allowed here, I don't know—"

"It's fine. I'm… on my way to Gale, myself. I'm meeting the rest of my Squadron."

"I'm Kai," I told her, smiling.

"Lora."

I looked over toward her, examining her armor. "You remind me of someone…" I glanced at her odd headgear, noting the similarity with Ace's. "You're not related to the Dark Ace, are you?"

She twitched. "No. Don't _ever_ compare me to him. I'm nothing like that Cyclonian bastard!"

I leaned away from her. "In other words, you are…"

She looked away from me. "A long time ago, yes. But not by blood…"

"If you have such a grudge against him, what's with the headgear?"

She tapped her fingers against the ledge, frustrated with the questions. "It was… Look, kid, don't you have anything better to do?"

"I'm waiting for someone to come and rescue me…"

She looked down, kicking her feet through the air. "Yeah, well, let me tell you something about those Storm Hawk comrades of yours. _Never_ trust them. One day, one of them might turn around and cut you."

"…You really have it in for Ace, don't you?"

"No, I have it in for _Dark_ Ace. He's not Ace anymore…"

I looked at her, concerned. "You loved him, didn't you?"

Lora glanced at me. "I loved _Ace_… I can't even recognize the monster he's become." Her brows tugged together, the frustration growing. "Receptive kid, aren't you? What's with the tattoos?"

I laughed, looking at my arms. "It's a long story…"

She sighed. "Listen… You're… You're a Storm Hawk. Let me know if you're ever in trouble, all right?" She dug into her pockets, pulling out a Messenger crystal.

I held up my hands defensively. "I shouldn't touch that."

"…Why not?"

To prove a point, I would take the risk and touch the crystal. I took the crystal from her grasp, watching it turn to dust in my hands, as crystals do when their power is drained. Unsure of what the effects would be, I told myself I would figure it out later.

"Shit, kid, you're screwed up."

"I know… I'm so scared right now…"

With her armored hand, she put a finger under my chin, forcing me to look her in the eye. "This, as strange as it is, is _nothing_ compared to what could happen, you understand? Be thankful this is all that's happened to you."

"Yeah? I was forced to infiltrate the Talon academy, mentally _raped_ by the Dark Ace himself, conned into meeting him on Neon, I smashed my hand open because of him, I wake up screaming at night because I witnessed a murder at the Academy… Sure, that's nothing. I totally understand."

Stunned, she bit back her words. "I… I'm so sorry that you had to deal with him…"

"I just want to go home…"

"Then go. No one is stopping you." Through the silence, she grasped my exact reason for staying. "You love him, then, aye?"

I smiled.

Lora stood up, holding a hesitant hand out for me. "Be careful with that. Falling for a co-pilot can get you in trouble…"

"But I don't like a co-pilot…"

"No, no, ignore that. That's just my rage talking." She smiled. "Still. Be careful with this."

I nodded. "I won't let him hurt me."

I suppose it was interesting how she grasped my reasoning without knowing specifically who I meant. I knew Lora meant well—if she truly had something with Ace years ago… I could see why she was being cautious.

"I have to get going—I'm meeting someone soon. If you ever need anything, Kai, send out a radio call for me, all right?"

I nodded.

"Now… you better get off this terra quickly. I know a few people who might get suspicious if you're here for too long."

With a smile, I turned back to face the water. "I'm still waiting for someone…"

"Don't expect that boy to come after you."

As I turned around to respond, she was gone. I sighed. Waiting for Aerrow would be agonizing… If he didn't come for me within the hour, I would assume Lora was right. That would crash my hopes faster than Finn finds boredom.

Another distraction made me unbalanced and I fell from the ledge into the lake. Now soaking wet and disappointed, I resurfaced in search of a way out of the water. Laughter peered over the ledge and I growled. I knew that laugh.

"You better help me out of here…"

In seeing the eyes that matched the voice, I was stunned. It wasn't Finn—but Aerrow. I hadn't heard his laugh before… "Aerrow…"

"Are you all right?" he asked though the laughter.

"I'm fine…"

"Do you need help?" He crawled a little closer to the edge, holding a hand out for me.

I stepped back. "No… D-don't touch me…"

He frowned, "Kai…"

I swam to a lower edge and pulled myself out, wringing out my hair and clothing. I pulled off my armor and sat there, waiting for the warm air to at least partially dry me out.

He walked over, taking a seat next to me. He pulled his shoes off, dipping his feet into the water.

"I'm scared, Aerrow… Genuinely afraid."

He put his arm around me shoulder and I flinched. "Afraid or not, I'm not scared of you."

"You saw what I did to Piper…"

He nodded. "As scary as it was, it was understandable, to an extent. You're just scared…"

"Aerrow… Why is all of this happening to me?"

"This was Finn's fault. I'll see to it that he's punished."

"Let me," I grumbled, watching my hands as they lit up.

He removed his arm from my shoulder and took my hands in his, quelling the rage. "As long as he's not dead, by all means…"

I laughed. "Let's just say he will be cold, limp, and in pain when I'm done with him… assuming I don't get my hands on any more crystals between now and then."

He looked down, realizing he was still holding my hands. Quickly, he removed them and stood up, holding a hand out for me. "We should get back… I don't want you getting sick."

I pinched my shirt, pulling it away from my skin. "I'm screwed anyway… why don't we just go for a swim, eh?" I rose to my feet without his help.

"I can't—"

"Yes you can, don't be chicken…" I hopped around, removing my shoes one at a time.

Aerrow stuttered, watching my every move.

I dropped my skirt, stepping closer to the edge of the lake. As I grabbed the hem of my shirt, I glanced behind me, watching Aerrow in utter awe. "… You're gonna swim, aren't you?" I smiled.


	36. Kept Secrets

_Beware, this chapter can get confusing._

_Kept Secrets_

_Kai_

Gale was honestly the farthest from home I'd gone thus far. It seemed to foreign, so… so Cyclonian-controlled… "Why are we here, again?"

He smiled. "We're not here for the reason you think."

"Oh, so we didn't pick up a shipment and freeze my toes off at Blizzaris to get it to Gale?"

"No… I meant we're not here to help out the Talons. There's a squadron here called the Rebel Ducks and they needed a few things. But I do need your help specifically, Kai. I want you and…," he stopped and glanced toward the blond. "Make that you and Junko. I need you two to go check on the status of the mines."

"Wait, wait, wait. Aerrow… Why are we landing on a Cyclonian-infected terra?" I asked. If I knew this terra was talon-infested, I may have never agreed to be on-board during the shipment off-loading.

"There are several places we can land where we'll be hidden from the mines," Stork added. "All though it's not entirely in any of our best interests, I suppose I'll land the Condor here, anyway…"

"Well… I don't want to go down to the mines… what if we get spotted?" Junko questioned.

I sighed. "I doubt a few Talons will be a problem."

"Kai… you might want to come here, then…," Piper whined, ushering me over to the helm window.

Upon looking downward, I saw more than my fair share of Talons—an amount Junko and I could definitely not handle on our own. "Hey… I think something's startled them."

Aerrow stood up, walking over to the window. Finn quickly followed over as well. "That's… that's Starling's Skimmer!" the blond pointed out.

"And she's being followed by a Talon…" Aerrow turned from the window, willing to risk our stealth to help out a friend.

"Wait! I don't… think that'll be necessary…," I laughed, seeing another Skimmer quickly pick up behind her and the Talon. In an instant, the one on the other Skimmer launched from the bike, took down the talon, and replaced themselves in the pilot's seat before anyone could've guessed. "Who… is that?"

"Starling's an Interceptor," Finn told me.

"The girl?" Aerrow spoke curiously. "…I'm not sure…"

"Looks live we've been spotted…," Finn muttered.

Stork made a hard right and caught us all off-guard. "Talon? WHERE?!"

Aerrow sighed. "No, Stork… Stork, it's fine. Prepare to be boarded."

"May I ask _why_ that's fine?" he asked, daring to play chicken with the Interceptors.

"He's not talking about Talons…"

"Oh… Okay."

Taking another closer look, I realized just exactly who that was. Lora. She said she was on her way to Gale… "Guys I know her. Let them on!"

Junko rushed to the hangar door, pulling it open. Not a moment too soon, of course. The two hit the landing strip and powered their way onto the Condor, skidding into the helm. I could see Stork cringe as the clean floor was scuffed-up.

"Hey, Storm Hawks," Starling smiled.

"It's nice to see you again," Aerrow laughed. "Who's this?"

Lora stepped off her bike, grumbling to herself. "Good for nothing .... Save your ass a million .... No respect…"

"Hey," I walked up to her. "You're an Interceptor?"

"Nice to see you, too. Go away."

I blinked, taking a step back.

"She's nobody. Just an annoyance."

"I have a fucking name!"

Aerrow took a step back as well. "Hey… is there a problem?"

"Aerrow, this is Lora," I introduced her. "I ran into her on Tranqua before you showed up."

"He showed up?" she questioned, surprised.

I smiled. "Unlike Ace, I can actually rely on him."

Lora continued to grumble profanities beneath her breath.

"What's the story, Starling?" Piper asked.

"Well," she sighed. "I found her in the clutches of Talons a few months back… She was able to free herself in the most incredible fashion, I thought she would be a great asset to me. I had _no_ idea she had an attitude to boot." A drop of sarcasm was mixed in with her words.

"Hey, you should try dealing with your sorry ass twenty-four-seven!"

Trying to keep a cheery mood, Starling smiled. "I'm _so_ glad you're here. Please… _Please_ take her off my hands!"

"You're weak, you know that?"

"You should try not to argue!" I added in. "Listen, I can tell this argument is a result of intolerance on your part," I looked at Starling, "and ignorance!" I glared at Lora.

"Receptive kid, aren't you?" she growled.

I tried to qwell the oncoming anger, knowing it would get me in trouble. "I want the _both_ of you to _shut up_ and sit the hell down! No one is going anywhere until I get this place quiet."

Finn and Aerrow stared at me in awe.

"There's the Storm Hawk I know," Aerrow smiled.

Stunned, Starling walked over to the table, Lora dragging behind. "I don't understand why I have to—"

"Sit. Down. Shut up. Now!"

Lora pressed her lips together, walking over to the table confidently.

"Now what's going on? Starling _first_."

Lora huffed, crossing her arms and legs.

"Can I ask you something first? Where'd you get the tattooed chick from?"

Aerrow laughed, leaving that one up to me.

"No subject changing. I'll explain that later."

Starling sighed. "Lora and I just don't get along. I thought for once I would be able to get back on track, you know? Rebuild my team… Lora is _way _better off on your team," she forced, giving us a cheesy grin.

"You can't stand her so you're passing her off to us?"

"Yes," she admitted.

Lora grumbled, desperately trying to stay quiet.

"Okay. I don't need to hear Lora's side of the story… Stork, let's get that shipment to the Rebel Ducks, all right? Starling, help out the guys. I'll keep Lora company."

Everyone agreed, quickly taking their positions on the ship. Once the room was partially cleared, I sat down beside Lora, glaring at her. "What the hell is going on?"

"Turns out I'm more of a bitch than you thought," she scoffed.

I reached out, placing a hand on either side of her face. "You need to cool off." My hands began to glow brightly, watching the power crawl up my arms. The markings transferred to her skin around my hands, disappearing gradually as I let go.

With a calm, almost drugged look on her face, I knew I would get a rational answer out of her. "I'm cold... What the hell did you do to me?"

"I cooled off your blood. Now you're too distracted to be mad!" I smiled.

She narrowed her gaze, watching me closely. Lora turned back around, resting her arms on the table. "God, this place has so many memories…"

"You've… been on the Condor before?"

"I lived here," she breathed. "Just for a few months, it wasn't entirely official… They said it needed to be kept a secret, I'd be surprised if there was any record of it." She looked down, tapping a finger against the table. "You guys don't still have V2, do you?"

I shook my head, unsure of what, or who exactly she was talking about.

"Right… This was all quite a few years ago… Back in the original squadron, aye?" She laughed quietly, resting the side of her face against the metal table.

"So… you were part of the original Storm Hawks, then?"

She nodded. "Not for long, and not officially."

"You worked with Ace…"

"Yeah… Back when he was Ace."

I stood up, stretching out my arms. "Why don't you show me around, then? I haven't been here long myself… Show me what you know."

She stood up, readjusting her armor. "Sounds… fun, I suppose."

Our first stop was my room, oddly enough. Lora pushed open the door, glancing around the room. "Piper lives here, huh?"

I shook my head. "I do."

"Fitting… Ace lived in this one. He wrote all over the walls." Lora proceeded in tearing down my sketches, disappointed to see a fresh coat of paint covering whatever was there before. "He had coded plans on here… Everything he needed to escape the Condor after he ambushed it, assuming he was on board. He had flight plans, demonstrating the optimum way to take down his leader…"

She let her fingers drag down the walls in disappointment, handing me the pictures she'd removed. "Sorry…"

I smiled, tossing them on my bed. "Where to next?"

"Lightning Strike's room… It was the most interesting." Not too far away, we landed in Aerrow's room. "His boy lives in here, aye?"

I nodded.

"Not surprising…" She quickly turned around, facing me. "Hey, rumor has it Mara's still alive… any of that bull true? I'd like to get my hands on the lazy bum."

Mara was the best of the best—he was the original Storm Hawks carrier pilot. "No… no, he went down with the ship…"

A sadden look took over the excitement, and Lora forcibly pressed on. "Anyone live in here?" she asked, opening another door. This was the purple room… "Oh…" From the barren feel, she knew the answer. "Starling said she was offered this room once before. I assume you weren't a part of the team at the time…"

I shook my head.

She led me to the kitchen, not bothering to stop there. She grabbed my hand and looked left, then right. Fear replacing anger, I was still unsure if Lora would get hurt by being in contact with me. I tried my best not to transfer any of the power while she held onto me.

"Watch this!" she giggled, pressing herself up against a seemingly unimportant wall. She patted the wall in search of something. Scratching her nails against the metal, they hit a lift. She pried it upward and twisted it counter-clockwise, pushing in the wall. "This is so cool… I hid so much shit back here." She let go of my hand, carefully maneuvering around the narrow walkway.

I could see this place hadn't been touched in a while, but by the footprints that had been left I knew Stork had found this place.

"I wonder if that Merb of yours stole any of my things…"

"You kept things back here?"

She shrugged. "I was off on a side-job while Ace was taking down the Condor, thank God. Never had a chance to retrieve any of it… Ah!" She knelt down, reaching elbow-deep into a mysterious crevice. She pulled back a dusty wooden box. It was quite large in size and seemed pretty heavy just by seeing the amount of effort she put into lifting it. "Guess you never _did_ find V2."

"What is this V2?"

She patted the box. "We had an incident with him not too long before the Condor went down. They wanted to throw him out and I felt bad… so I put him in this box and stuffed him back here. I… don't have the key… It was on the ship."

"You put someone in that box?" I asked startled.

She shook her head. "V2 was our… Well, you know that monkey-rabbit thing you have crawling around here? He's like that… only mechanical and spherical. He won't run. Period. But it'd still be pretty cool to see the old guy…"

Still unsure of what exactly she was talking about, I nodded. "I don't know if I can help you in the key department. You might have to ask Stork, our pilot." I began to fiddle with my necklace before realizing something. I'd strung that key I won racing Aerrow early on around my neck. He made me promise I would find what it went to… "Wait… try this. It probably won't work, but I'm obligated to try anyway." After untying the necklace, I handed it to her.

She stuck the key in the lock, turning the rusty lock. A smile struck her face as she began to lift the lid. I was stunned. I never thought I would find what the key belonged to... "Look…" She brushed off the dusty metal finding it to be surprisingly shiny, except for a few spots of rust.

"Holy…" I squatted down, looking at the robot. "He actually worked?"

"Yeah… I didn't think that was possible, really… Somehow, he defied logic and functioned perfectly."

"Off crystals?"

"It took one Engine crystal, and fresh fuel crystals to keep him running. I was assigned to keep watch of his crystal power levels," she smiled proudly.

"Can… you take him out? I want to see if there's something I can do…"

"With that weird crystal thing you do?" An eager smile crossed her face. "Absolutely." With some effort, she lugged the robot out of the box and kicked the wood aside. Once he was free from the box, she fished two metal balls from the box and set them beside the robot. "These are his hands…"

I laughed. "Okay, keep quiet for a minute… I don't entirely know what all I can do or if this'll even work…" I pressed my hands against the dusty metal, closing my eyes. I let out a cool breath, feeling the metal begin to freeze beneath my skin. Not what I was hoping for, but progress nonetheless. I tried to further concentrate, delving deeper. I knew if I searched for remaining crystal power, the Leech crystal inside of me would beg for whatever it could get. I could feel the power transfer through the metal, running through every fiber, every inch of metal and crystal, around every gear. Once I'd found the engine crystal, I knew there was something I could do.

Like a dry sponge, the engine crystal began to take whatever power I would allow it to have. As the greedy crystal began refueling, I continued my search. Another crystal object laid in my grasp, unresponsive to my invitation for power. I retracted my hands from the metal, fatigued from the draw of power.

"That's incredible!" Lora cheered. "You should've seen your skin… it was creepy. And… and those markings were on V2, too! Ha ha!"

I smiled, catching my breath. "I try not to think about it… it still creeps me out. Listen, I felt like part of the circuit was missing. The power went in and out, there was no end… give me one of those," I reached for one of the metal balls she said were his hands. I grasped it in my hand. "If you want to talk about incredible, you should take a look at the robot! He can transfer power to his hands without wires or connective crystals, it's absolutely amazing!"

"I tried not to question it," she mocked jokingly. "It was creepy."

I rolled my eyes, laughing. "You want to see your buddy?" I smiled, prying open his hand. Located in the middle of the metal hand was a small crystal. Though it was nothing more than a cooking crystal, it would hold enough power (given a constant supply) to power the contraption for a short amount of time.

Thankful eyes caught my own. "Even if it's just for a moment… I miss the little guy…"

"Give me the other hand." Grasping the two in each hand, I exhaled. Still recovering from the lack of power lost in the first round, I knew I had to keep it short. I fed as much power as I could into the cooking crystals and waited for a response.

The rusty gears tried to fire up, grinding against their prior sedentary lifestyle. The circuit-like pattern markings ran across his metal, glowing dimly as I fed power through his hands and into the rest of his body. Suddenly, the metal beast rose from the ground, floating in mid-air.

"Lora…," it spoke quietly with an electronically warped voice.

Tears filled the warrior's blue eyes as she reached out to brush off V2's metal.

"Lora, I've missed you… How long have I been gone?"

"Six years…"

If the contraption could cry, it would be bawling its electronic eyes out. "Where is Ace? Surely he is with you… That boy couldn't keep his hands off of you!"

She closed her eyes, forcing the tears out.

I could feel resistance from his hands. They were begging to move, to comfort Lora… "Sorry, buddy… I have to hold onto your hands to keep you alive…"

He nodded grimly. "He finally took them down, didn't he?"

"You knew?!" Lora grew angry. I could feel remorse, regret, and concern run through the robot. It was absolutely stunning to see a supposedly emotionless beast express concern—an entirely other thing to feel it personally. "You _knew _he was going to bring down the team?!"

V2 backed away, inch by inch. "Ace had evil in his heart… Destruction was going to be a result wherever he went… Lora, I thought you knew."

She tore her gaze away from the robot, unable to control the tears now.

"Shit. Lora, I… I can't keep him up much longer…," I told her, watching his lights flicker, feeling his gears stutter.

She reached out for the machine, wrapping her arms around the metal sphere. "Don't forget me…," she whispered, holding the contraption as he fell from the air. The power was quickly drained, every last drop used to keep him alive.

I could feel my muscles ache, the fatigue really setting in. No matter how much I wanted to, there was no chance I could get him up and running without some sort of recharge.

Lora rose to her feet, holding tightly onto V2. "I'm not leaving without him. Not again."

I nodded. "He's all yours."

She smiled, squeezing her way past me and out of the narrow room. I kept V2's hands in my own, following her out.

"How long am I stuck here?" she asked, readjusting her grip on V2.

"I suppose… until we're done unloading the ship. I don't think you want to help out… Starling will be out there."

She shook her head. "I'm perfectly content in here." Lora hugged the metal beast the rest of the tour around the Condor, stopping specifically at the crystal lab. "This… is interesting… Looks like you guys have put Leum's room to good use."

"Piper stores every crystal she gets her hands on in here, with the exception of Cooking and Fuel crystals. Those are kept either in the kitchen, or the hangar."

"Do me a favor? Get about… three fuel crystals and a cooking crystal for me, will ya? I want to try something." She stepped into the room, setting V2 on the table. She made sure he wouldn't roll off before returning to me, prying V2's hands out of my own.

"Uh… sure?" Now entirely caught up in the lab, Lora didn't even notice me leave.

I walked from Piper's lab to the helm, walking through to the hangar. I pushed past the Skimmers and squatted down by a box of fuel crystals. I picked the brightest few and returned to Lora. "What exactly do you have in mind?" I asked, absorbing one of the fuel crystals on accident. I breathed a sigh of relief when the fatigue escaped my body, the fuel crystal entering in its place. If I could use crystals in place of sleep, I would've said this accident may not have been such a bad thing.

"You got V2 up and running… Maybe I can keep him running?" She seemed so hopeful. She missed her friend dearly…

She snatched the crystals from my hands, dropping them into the robot.

"Hmm… these aren't ordinary fuel crystals… Any idea where you guys got 'em from?"

I shook my head. "Lately Piper has come up with quite a few unstable crystals… Not sure why she's kept them…"

"Study. Kale used to do that more than once. He and Leum would collect odd crystals for study."

I nodded.

"Care to give him a jumpstart?" she asked eagerly, stepping aside.

I nodded. Refueled, I could now lend a hand. I placed my hands on the metal beast and drove a blast of crystal energy throughout him. Now up and running, I stepped back.

Lora launched toward me, engulfing me in her arms. "You have no idea how grateful I am."

"Lora!" V2 exclaimed. "How… how did you…? I thought…"

She released me, rushing over to him. "Kai's got a few tricks up her sleeves… You can thank her that you're alive."

V2 lifted his hands from the desk, stretching out his fingers. "Boy, does this feel good… Hey, I rusted…! Lora, where exactly did you keep me locked up?"

"…In the crawlspace…," she laughed nervously.

With a disappointed look on his face, he sighed. "So, how long has it been?"

"Six years…"

Piper rushed in, staring at the robot. "What… is that?"

I smiled. "His name is V2. I have no idea how he runs… Lora found him in the crawlspace." I saved Lora the trouble of explaining everything. Lora had said that her status as an ex-Storm Hawk was supposed to be kept a secret, so I left it that way.

Piper stood there, watching in awe as V2 hovered there above the ground, his hands disconnected from his body, floating there as well. "This is incredible…"

"I know, right?" Lora smiled. "Look, V2 and I really have to get going."

"He's not yours," Piper instructed. "You found him on the ship, correct?"

"Miss," V2 interrupted. "I was a companion of Loras back in my prime. I lived here on the ship, but Lora was a very good friend of mine. If you don't mind, I'd like to go along with her."

If I thought Piper was amazed before, that was nothing compared to how she reacted now. "You can _speak_?!"

He nodded

"Lora, V2… I'm sorry, I just can't let him leave. This is incredible! I have to study him…"

Aerrow joined the party, ignoring the scene. "Looks like we're done here…"

I looked at Aerrow, walking over to his side. "Lora found him in the Condor. Piper and her are fighting over him."

"Ahh… You two found him here on the ship?"

I nodded. "But he used to be Lora's, so it's a question of ownership. I told Lora she could have him."

"Guys!" Aerrow interrupted. "Kai is a part of the team, and what she says has merit. Lora, did she say you can have him?"

Lora nodded confidently.

"Then he's yours. End of story."

Stunned, Piper tried to argue her way out of it.

"He's Lora's, anyway. V2 seems to have his own personality and way of thinking, if he wants to leave with her, we shouldn't stop him."

"If you wouldn't mind…," he smiled.

Reluctantly, Piper agreed. "Fine…" She quickly left the room.

"I'm sorry to inconvenience you all. It's been quite a while since I've seen Lora."

Aerrow leaned against the doorway. "So, I suppose you have some explaining to do, Lora. How did something of yours manage to get on the Condor?"

"A few months before the Condor went down, I stayed on the Condor. Of course, assuming you've kept the original rules of the ship, you should know living there meant I had to help out."

I looked at Lora with a smug look. "She loved _Acey._"

"Shut up!" Lora growled.

Aerrow laughed quietly. "So you _were_ a Storm Hawk… I don't think I've read about you."

"They didn't want me to get hurt, being so young. They tried to keep it quiet, I don't think I'm on record."

Ignoring the business aspect, I continued to poke fun at the girl. "You know, she was Ace's first love…," I sighed, smiling obliviously.

"I'm going to kill you!" Lora charged toward me, but in grasping her hands, the girl froze in her steps. She quickly backed up, a look of pain struck her face.

"Don't you dare."

Aerrow flinched, but couldn't even make a move before it was all over. "Huh… Look, Lora, you don't mind if we all talk to you and Starling for a moment, do you?"

She exhaled sharply, leaving the room. "Fine, make it quick."

"What are you?" V2 asked curiously, circling me.

"According to Piper, I'm a walking crystal."

V2 chuckled. "Astounding…"

Aerrow, V2, and I left for the helm, meeting the rest of the group out there. Not too surprising, Starling an Lora were already back to arguing. That's when I knew just what this meeting was about.

I stood between the two with a hand on foreheads. "I can kill you both in an instant. One more word out of either of you and it will be your last." That was entirely a bluff. I knew I could hurt them, I knew I could freeze them from the inside, out, and I knew I could paralyze them—but I knew I couldn't kill them. I was too weak, and I lacked that ability… but they didn't know that.

Starling backed up. "I don't want to argue anymore."

"Precisely why we're out here. Starling, you can go. I know you need to make it to Skyside Shanty before too long."

She nodded. "Thanks for everything, Storm Hawks. I'll see you around." Starling left for the hangar, flying her Skimmer off of the Condor.

"I don't know what you're trying to pull, but—"

"Join us," Aerrow stated plainly.

Lora stood there in silence, trying to read his expression. "You're kidding…"

Aerrow shook his head. "Starling is better off on her own… she's proved that to us. And from what she's told me, you're better off without her, but you need a team. And… we have an extra room," he shrugged. "So, join us."

A smile grew on her face, but it quickly faded. "I can't live here. There are too many memories… to many devastating memories… I… Aerrow… I can't. I just can't. I can't stand to relive it all…" Lora began to walk off solemnly toward the hangar door. "Go ask Starling again…"

She climbed onto her skimmer, starting up the engine. "Stay here V2," she decided. "You're connected to all of that… As much as I'd love to have you back…" She looked down, hiding the tears she couldn't keep from falling. "You're a part of _him_. I don't want anything to do with _him_… Goodbye, V2…"

And without another word, Lora took off.

V2 backed up into me, apologizing quickly after. "How… how could she just do that?"

I rested a hand on his metal body. "She's hurt, V2… You can tell she's sorry," I told him, trying to lighten the situation.

"Yeah…," he looked down. "So am I…" He slowly left the room, leaving behind a depressing feeling.

Even Aerrow was sad. The emotion Lora brought with her was strong—we didn't even know the story and she brought us to our knees, saddened by the scars her past had left.

I fell to my knees before sitting on the floor, wiping tears from my eyes. "I wonder what happened to her…"


	37. Pain

_Pain_

_Kai_

Adjusting to V2 was tough. I knew he was on the ship, but it would still freak me out, seeing a metal ball floating around. His memory has issues, for sure. One minute, he knows where he is, and just exactly who he's with, and the next he's questioning everything. Piper said she'd work with him, but she might have to wipe his memory entirely. Either way, she said she would fix it.

Ecstatic that V2 got to stay on the ship with us, Piper had been non-stop observing him. All the little guy wanted to do was help out around the ship and she kept him cooped up in the lab. He was stir-crazy after the first hour. I finally managed to convince her to let him go, but that's when she gave me the news.

"I have to basically kill V2."

Stunned, I waited for an explanation.

"But it's not that simple. See, in being sedentary for so many years, parts of his memory center have been corrupted. What's holding his memories is in a sense… a messenger crystal, but not entirely. I've never seen a crystal like it. It's been grown to capture thoughts, to capture emotions, memories, actions, personalities, opinions… Maybe you can get a better grip on the crystal than I can. I have to basically reset the Memory crystal, I'll call it, and he'll lose all his memories in the process." She smiled.

"Another thing," Piper continued. "I won't let you near any crystal-related products until you get this… odd ability under control. So, I've come up with a plan." She pulled out a blueprint, smoothing it out against the table. She asked me to help keep it from rolling back up while she explained this strange device to me.

"These are crystal magnifying devices. They magnify properties of crystals, doing the job of an enhancer crystal ten-fold. These…" She pulled out another blueprint and smoothed that one out on top of the last. "These are mechanical hands I've designed to both block the power of crystals and enhance it. It's… odd, I know. I've never had to work with something like this. Don't get me wrong, I'm ecstatic to have this opportunity!"

"What are you trying to do?" I asked.

"I'm going to prevent the chance of accidental absorption. Uh… These will… just about stop you from hurting anyone accidentally, or absorbing crystals without your consent."

"I get it… rather than working on a cure, you're going to make it so I'm a walking weapon."

She looked at me, concern filling her eyes. "Kai… There is no cure…"

I looked down, tapping my fingers against the blueprints. From the glow that travelled up my arm with each tap, Piper could see the anger, the pain from knowing I would be stuck like this—I would always be afraid I'd hurt someone… I would always be a monster.

Piper let the prints curl back up, leaning against her desk. "Aerrow… doesn't seem to care," she mentioned. "He wasn't afraid of you. He _isn't_ afraid of you."

"Who said anything about Aerrow?"

She sighed. "Right…" Somehow, this gave Piper an air of confidence. It was odd, I didn't entirely understand it. "So I was thinking, with your help, I can perfect the design to a degree and finish them by tomorrow night. What do you think?"

"If I'm stuck this way, you might as well make me safe."

Piper smiled. "All right! Listen, I worked up a prototype in the last few days… I want you to wear them while I'm gone—I have to go pick up a few supplies." She picked up a cardboard box off the floor, setting it on the table. "Don't take them off unless you're going to wash your hands, shower, swim… anything involving water. And the instant your hands are dry, put them back on. Understand?"

I nodded, lifting off the lid. The gloves were odd—they didn't look like gloves. At all. There was a metal ring that went around my wrist, a metal plate that covered the top of my hand, and five metal rings—one for each finger. The rest of my skin was uncovered. Piper watched as I put each one on, curious glowing power surrounding the metal. It soon faded, but it did creep me out. It made me feel like I had living beings inside of my body with a mind of their own.

It sounded like Piper was confirming that suspicion, controlling their minds with these devices.

"The crystal on the underside of this plate will regulate the energy flow. It'll monitor the Leecher in you, not sure how effective it'll be, being a prototype…"

"I'll be sure not to touch any crystals while you're gone," I rolled my eyes.

She rested a hand on my shoulder. "It'll be okay, Kai." Piper quickly left for her supplies.

I wandered out of her lab, exploring the ship. Lora's presence still lingered in the air, I could see her spirit walk the halls, dragging her fingers against the metal walls. I imagined a younger Dark Ace, following her around.

Lora was a strong person—she was a leader, and as dominant as Ace was, somehow he just didn't match up. She was the kind of person that wouldn't think twice about killing someone if they'd messed with her. Ace was different. He wanted to kill—he had no mercy, he held no remorse. He would rather see people dead than alive. Lora didn't wish for death, but get on her bad side and you're on her hit list.

Suddenly, I was pulled from the kitchen into the helm by an overly-eager Finn. "Hey! Kai! What's going on?"

"…You're not my favorite person right now, Finn."

"I know, but Aerrow's busy and I'm bored out of my frickin' mind."

Judging by the drink in his hand, I knew why he was so eager. "How many of those have you had?"

"Six. And two cups of coffee." He began to rock back and forth, then he fidgeted with his hands. "Come on! Let's do something!" He grabbed my hand. That's when the rage came back.

"Don't you dare touch me, Finn."

That quickly pulled him down from his energized state. "Whoa. What side of the bed did you wake up on today?"

"You think you can just go back to being all friendly with me after what happened? You think everything will just be all right if you just apologize?"

Like a broken record, Finn proceeded to apologize. "Kai, really… I told you like twenty times already, I'm sorry for what happened!"

"And that's supposed to solve all my problems? I look like some tribal freak from Terra Xoam! You don't understand the pain I wake up with each morning. I've been stealing fuel crystals from Stork to keep from killing myself cause of the pain. I'm sick of this! I'm sick of your oblivious immaturity! Can't you just think about the consequences for once? What about considering what happened to me? What I'm going through?"

Finn began to back away, but I followed him, inch by inch.

The power crawled up my arms, ignoring the devices around my hands. "You don't understand how powerful I am. In a heightened state of rage I was able to kill a Swamp Eel on Tranqua in twenty seconds. They're about twice your size…"

Now he was worried. I'd scared Finn to the point of tears. His eyes began to cloud, worried for his life. Backing into a wall, I had him cornered. "Kai… I…"

"I don't understand what all I can do, but I know it won't take much to kill you." I placed my hand around his neck. I noticed the glow reflecting back at me from the metal wall. It was brighter than I'd ever seen. More than just my hands and arms were glowing, now—and from the look in Finn's eyes, I'd say the side of my face and my eyes were glowing as well.

And just as I'd planned out every possibility for killing the blond, I caught myself. I stared at the contraptions on my hands—Piper said they would prevent accidental harm, but not intentional.

Using that as an excuse, I backed off. "You're lucky I can't hurt you today," I told him, showing him the metal clinging to my hands. "But think about me when you try to pull another stunt like that. I'll be there to drain every ounce of life from your body… and I won't hesitate next time."

"I'm so sorry…," he muttered, sliding down the wall. As he closed his eyes, the tears rolled down his cheeks. For once, he was concerned for me, and I knew I had gotten my message across.

_Aerrow_

I didn't question what Kai had done to Finn—hell, if she didn't get the point across, I would've done it myself, and he would've come out of it with much more than just tears. But what I didn't understand was the outcome.

He took it to heart… That's never happened before.

I closed my eyes and rolled over, lying on my back in bed. I stared at the glow-in-the-dark stars my father had once glued to the ceiling of my room, imagining the world he'd created. He had a vision, and he mapped out his perfect society right in this room. Paint had long-since washed away the evidence, but I could still feel it, I could close my eyes and see it. My father never really left, he was always with me.

A quiet knock struck my door and I sat up, answering the call. "Finn…"

"I'm done," he stated, slamming the red-stained ten onto my desk. "I'm done with this stupid bet. I'm over it… I won't hurt her again. Kai's all yours, _buddy_."

As Finn left without another word, slamming the door behind him, several thousand questions ran through my mind. What happened between him and Kai? Did he already win? Finn's never been one to just _give up _on a challenge.

So, what really happened, then?

I sat back down at my desk, crumpling the ten up into a ball. I tossed it into the trash a good five feet from me, contemplating the situation.

_Finn_

I'm not willing to hurt Kai again. I rather lose her than put her through something we all know she doesn't want.

She doesn't want me. She wants Aerrow. That was evident from day one. I guess I was fooling myself, saying I could change her mind. I'm Finn! I could get any girl I wanted…

I just can't have Kai.

She was never rightfully mine, and I had to stop lying to myself.

In a fit of anger, I pushed everything off of my desk and set my head against the surface, listening to the sounds of the ship. I was just another man on the team. None of this was ever supposed to happen, right? So, say it never did. I'm still just Finn—the Storm Hawks' sharp shooter. None of that has changed. I wasn't complaining then, I shouldn't be complaining.

I am Finn. Nothing can change that.

ooo

**I suppose this was an all-around painful chapter. Painful for Kai, painful for Finn, and scary for Aerrow. And the risk grows… will the Storm Hawks lose a team mate due to stress? Poor Finn… (Sorry Lana!)**


	38. Unexpected

_Unexpected_

_Aerrow_

I tried to console Finn but no matter how I went about it, the boy refused to speak to me. I knew something was wrong, and if I needed to, I would get the truth out of Kai.

"Aerrow, if I may suggest something… I think Kai is in need of more comforting than Finn is."

I glanced toward the robot. "Aren't you supposed to be with Piper?"

"Yes, but frankly, I'm quite afraid of her. I overheard her and Kai talking… She said she has to wipe my memory… If they do that, I'll lose Lora forever…"

I smiled. "You really do care for Lora, don't you?"

"I fear for her, as well. Lora has made some bad choices in her life. She was a violent, angry person before Ace, but after he took down the Storm Hawks… Aerrow, the Lora you saw was not the Lora I knew. Physically, she was the same, but mentally she was quite tormented."

I nodded. "What happened to her, anyway?"

"Well…," he sighed, fidgeting his hands. "When Lora was younger, Cyclonian Talons from the first war had invaded Mesa, killing her mother in the process. Her father became a drunk and enforced a violent and angry lifestyle onto her. Ace brought her back with him after a supply trip to Mesa and she joined the team.

"It was supposed to be kept a secret to keep Lora safe, which was a brilliant idea in the end. Once she was part of the team, however, things changed. Just before Ace's eighteenth birthday, he started acting odd, locking himself up in his room for hours on-end. Lora grew very suspicious of him. That's when the anger started to show, not too unlike Kai's fits of rage.

"At one point she cornered Ace and threatened him with his life. Striker managed to pull them apart just in the nick of time. She was never the same after that. Lora grew very introverted and secluded herself to conversing with Striker, Ace, and I, no matter how much the others tried to pry."

V2 looked down, scratching a rusted spot of metal with his hand. "I got to hear a lot about her in those two months… She told me a lot of things that she wouldn't even tell Ace. They grew very close in those months, but they also grew very distant. Ace began keeping more secrets from her and she knew. She was too smart—Ace could hide the truth, but not the fact that he was lying.

"Lora… had a bit of a violent fit one night after one of his lies. She stormed out of his room and in following after her, Ace got the brunt of her wrath. I… was caught in the cross fire. The next thing I remember was waking up in a dark room with Kai and Lora six years later. I'm sorry, Aerrow, but I know nothing more of the attack."

I shook my head. "Don't worry about it, I just wanted to know about Lora." It was very interesting to hear about Ace from someone that experienced it all first-hand. I only wished he knew more about how he took down my father…

"I do, however… have something that might be of interest to you. Your father left a lot to you, in the event of his death. Information, rather. He knew you would need it, his dream was that you would fight alongside him as a Storm Hawk, and in case he couldn't be there to see it, he wrote notebooks, at least ten of them. They're all filled with sky logs, battle tactics, everything. I don't know if they survived the fire, but if I did… maybe they did?"

I smiled. "That's incredible… but… I can't. I don't want to know." I felt like if he couldn't be there to teach me himself, I wasn't meant to know.

"That's… all right. I understand. Listen, I have to go… _I_ won't be back…"

I knew what he meant. Piper would wipe his memory and the V2 we knew, the V2 Lora knew… he would be gone forever. I nodded and wished him well, shutting my room's door behind him.

Only an hour later, Piper came after me. "Aerrow?" came a knock on the door. "I'm having issues with V2's recovery and I can't find Kai."

"She should be in her room," I told her with a smile.

She nodded. "Listen… Can I talk to you? J-just… for a minute?"

"Sure, Piper. What's up?"

She shut the door quietly, her gaze staying off of mine. "Aerrow…" Something in the air changed. Piper wasn't concerned about V2 anymore. "I've really been thinking lately… about you… and me…"

I raised a brow. What exactly was she getting at?

"I…" Piper stepped forward, nearing closer to me with each step. I began to back up, but eventually ran into my desk. I gripped the edge, watching her.

That's when it hit me. I knew what she was trying to do.

Piper stood up on her toes, trying to kiss me. I reached out and stopped her. "Piper, hey, what the hell are you doing?"

"I… I just… I thought, well…"

"No, no, Piper, you don't understand," I laughed, nervous. I gently pushed her back a few steps so I could stand comfortably. "Piper, I thought you knew… I… I like _Kai_…"

She looked away, angered and hurt.

"You made _so_ many remarks... I knew you were jealous, Piper, but I thought you knew." I rubbed my neck, watching as she stood there in silence. "Piper," I called, resting my hands on her shoulders. "I tried to get somewhere with you a year ago… I was interested in you and I got nowhere in trying to show you that… I thought you weren't interested, so I gave up."

She nodded, still looking away from me. "I have to go." She brushed my hands from her shoulders, leaving the room silently.

I fell back, sitting in my desk chair. I tried to put everything together… I felt guilty, not pursuing her longer. How long had this interest in me existed? She only truly started showing it when I showed interest in Kai! Maybe that was it… Maybe the fact that she couldn't have me brought her feelings to the surface…?

I closed my eyes, sighing. Everything was coming together so quickly and I was taking the brunt of the stress. Finn gave up the bet, I hurt Piper, and now Kai was left in the middle of it all. I felt terrible... But there wasn't much I could do. I could be there to comfort her, but did she even really know what all was going on?

There was no doubt Kai was interested in me as well—she wouldn't have done what she did on Tranqua if she didn't. But was it right to act on my feelings after what just happened?

ooo

One week. Just one more week. I rocked back and forth from my toes the my heel, anxious. I stared out the window, thinking.

"Aerrow!"

I jumped. "Kai!" I smiled.

"What's going on?"

"Anxious," I told her.

"…What are you doing?"

"Breathing!"

Kai put her hand on my face, her markings beginning to glow. "Aerrow… can you think, now?"

I nodded slowly, feeling a cold sensation run through my veins. "My… My birthday is in a week. I'm so excited."

She giggled. "Just now you've decided to tell me this?"

I nodded. "I don't like to get others involved—I tend to celebrate alone."

"Why? I mean, I can see how that would be fun…," she joked.

"Oh, ha ha, I didn't mean it like that."

Piper walked into the room, sending a chilling depression though the air.

"Hey, Piper," Kai smiled.

"Fuck off."

Stunned, Kai took a step back. "What the _hell_ crawled up _her_ ass?"

"She's going to be like that for a while," I laughed, though it was probably inappropriate. "She's always like that when an experiment goes wrong," I lied.

"V2?"

I nodded.

"Ahh… She's having issues wiping his memory, then…"

"She said she needs your help… but I don't think that's an option right now…"

Kai nodded. "We got a radio call about… ten minutes ago. There's a Cyclonian attack on some Sky fishers north-east of here."

"Starling's headed out that way… She could probably handle it."

"Aerrow. They're asking for the Storm Hawks."

I blinked.

"They don't trust anyone else."

I led the way back to the comm. room, adjusting our signal. "Is there _any_ way this could be a trap?"

"Call them. You'll believe it, too." Kai stepped forward, tapping a piece of paper with their signal numbers on it. I adjusted the frequency perfectly and called out.

"This is Aerrow of the Storm Hawks, I read your distress signal and we are on our way. Are there any fatalities?"

The cries that came in return, filled with static, confirmed what Kai had said. "Yes! We have two men down, repeat, two men down! Four-One-Oh-Six-Nine!"

Kai looked at me, confused.

"Listen, Get everyone below deck except for four men. Get four men out on Skimmers with nets. Tie nets like a force field around your ship with at least five-feet of distance between you and the nets. This will keep the talons out until we arrive.

"This is just a drill," I tried to convince him. "Do you understand me? Just a drill."

"This isn't a drill," Kai spoke quietly, looking at me.

"I know…" I hung up the receiver. "If we can convince them it's just a drill, they won't panic and they will follow orders. It should take us about an hour to get to their location, but we can't take the risk by bringing the Condor. Knowing the territory, we'll be fending off more than just talons." I left the comm. room, bringing Kai with me.

"We have to leave now. I'm taking you with me, Kai. You're the most formidable on the team as of right now, and this will mainly be hand-to-hand combat. I can't rely on anyone else."

"No worries, I'm on it."

"Stay right here." I rushed into Piper's lab, maneuvering my way around her. I reached for a crystal I had locked up, unlocking the box. I stole the crystal and made my way out of the room when Piper's voice picked up.

"A-Aerrow?"

I turned around, grasping onto the doorjam.

"I'm sorry… about earlier… and for insulting Kai."

I smiled. "Don't worry about it, Piper. It's fine."

She smiled, returning to work on Kai's gloves.

I rushed back to Kai, who was picking at the prototypes on her hands. "Hey," she breathed, fussing with the metal.

I set the crystal down, prying the metal off her hands. "You won't be needing a govern, anyway."

She looked at her hands, then up at me. "Aerrow, no, I can't do that." She knew what I was asking.

"The fastest way if things go wrong is for you to kill them." I picked the crystal back up. "You should know what this is."

She looked away. "Ace's Firebolt… I'm not going with you if that's what you want me to do."

I gently placed the crystal into her hand, curling her fingers around it. "If you don't, Kai… they will die…"

"One life for another may seem fair, but I… Aerrow, I can't kill a human being. I just can't." She gripped the crystal tighter and I watched as it turned to dust. "Don't make me do this, Aerrow." A flow of light like a wave crawled up her arm, her eyes glowing with rage.

"Would you rather a bunch of innocent Sky fishers died in the place of Talons?"

"I rather stop the attack and prevent _any_ deaths?"

I sighed. Kai was always good at heart, no matter where her future took her. Taking another look into her eyes, I knew there was no changing her mind. "…Okay. Could you at least paralyze them? Anything to get the fishers free from the talons unscathed…"

She nodded slowly, glancing towards the bikes. "We should get going."

Walking over to my bike, I stuffed a few other supplies into the compartment under the seat. "It's going to be dangerous, Kai…"

She nodded. "Can't be any worse than the Swamp Eels."

"Snapping Eels, Sky Sharks… I'm actually fearing for my own life," I laughed.

She stepped up to me, hugging her sides. "Then why are you letting me come along?"

With a smile, I replied, "Because I know you can handle yourself."

"Huh… I think this is the first time you haven't worried about me." She brushed her hair from her eyes, watching me closely. "You think you can remember that?"

I shrugged. "I suppose… I have a pretty good memory."

"Good," Kai smiled. "Can I at least have a hug before we go?" she asked quietly.

"You don't have to ask anymore…" As I began to wrap my arms around her, I noticed she wasn't entirely interested in a hug.

Kai rested her arms on my shoulders and posed a sly grin before giving me a kiss.

I must've been blushing, considering Kai began laughing. "W-what?"

"Let's go."


	39. Change

_I hate this chapter with a passion. It's so sad, and very, very out of character for Kai. This had to happen, otherwise it wouldn't have. At all. It's setting the stage for future events, though. Damn it…_

_Well, here you go._

_Change_

_Kai_

I felt like I was pushed into this. I was given a running start into an inescapable fate. I knew it wasn't right of me to kiss Aerrow like that. It was like saying goodbye… At least, that's what I forced myself to believe. I knew that there was a possibility neither of us would come back and that it was now or never… I never expected the outcome, however.

We flew for thirty agonizing minutes, clung to each other on his skimmer. I closed my eyes and drifted off, comfortable against him. I wondered what exactly was going to happen. This was a true test of my skills—Aerrow sent me to the academy knowing nothing of what I could do, fearful yet confident. The boy was fearing for his own life.

I knew this was truly my first—and possibly my last—mission as a Storm Hawk. I was learning the hard way.

Rain began to pour down, dense like a barrier keeping us from saving precious lives. Aerrow warned me quietly, the boy's mind still blank. "It's, uh… Just rain," he laughed. "However, we are close. Don't open your eyes until I say when." I could hear pain in his voice, the scent of death and sorrow filling the air. He knew we were too late to save the bulk of the crew. "The ship has been directed off course. We're here… but they're not…."

Visibility was extremely low, and even if they hadn't gone far, simply looking for them wouldn't cut it. "Damn," he cursed, slamming his fist against his navigational instruments. "Kai, can you fly?"

"You told me not to open my eyes…"

"Promise me you will focus on nothing but keeping us steady. If you don't, we'll both head straight into the Wastelands." When I agreed, Aerrow steadily began to rise to his feet, my arms automatically grabbing the handlebars.

"Counter my movement."

I'd never dealt with something like this. I'd seen Aerrow rise up on his Skimmer, Radarr taking over the controls while the red-head would fight in a more unorthodox fashion.

Aerrow jumped from the seat to the wing, a move that could potentially send us spinning. I didn't dare look around, afraid to see the death that surrounded us. I kept my eyes on the dense rain ahead of me and listened closely to every word Aerrow said.

"Straight ahead. Don't worry about me, just focus on keeping us steady."

Scared out of my mind, I could feel the anxiety knotting up in my chest. My body grew cold as my core temperature lowered—I had to keep warm and focused. I centered the crystal energy within me and used the power of a cooking crystal to keep me warm. The fire brewed from my spine and branched out to my limbs. I could see the light crawl along the markings on my skin.

The rain was relentless and there was no chance of keeping dry. The static on my radio grew louder until the contraption shorted out. Aerrow could see I was losing focus. "You can do it, Kai… just listen to the sound of my voice, all right?"

"Yeah, like that'll help me focus," I laughed.

"Now… be careful up here… Try to steer clear of the rocks…"

"That's not entirely possible!" I shouted back, releasing my anxiety. I was scared from square one. I went into this with a fatal mindset and I was stuck there. If it wasn't for the rain, my comrade would've seen my tears and we would've both lost focus.

Instantly I could feel the tension lift. "Speed up a bit, Kai. I can see the stern."

I wanted to hit my head against the instrument panel until I was unconscious, but Aerrow needed me in this fight just as much as I needed him.

"I don't want you in the air for this fight, all right? Find a good place to park it and stay hidden."

"But what about—"

"Damn it, Kai, do you understand me or not?"

I sunk low in the seat and continued onward toward the ship. That's when I realized exactly why Aerrow was so frustrated.

The boy launched himself from the wing to the deck and bolted up the mast, clinging himself onto the netting. I watched as he crawled like an animal across, his speed was frightening. I traced his line of sight and screamed, throwing his skimmer into a roll to evade the worst threat of all.

The one man I'd tried to escape from my entire ride as a Storm Hawk had thrown himself from the ship and reached for the edge of my wing. The talon scratched at the metal to keep himself attached but was thrown off by the slippery surface. Ace was thrown into the air, but with the deck of the ship below him, the man was swiftly saved.

Aerrow shouted towards me, his words hitting the rain like a brick wall. His green eyes followed Dark Ace as he rose back to his feet. The talon began to plot out another route. I knew Aerrow had the right way of thinking—I needed to land or Ace would take the Skimmer down, even if it meant his life.

I circled back around, unsure of how to get back. If needed, I knew Aerrow would fogive me for ditching his Skimmer. It would take a lot of apologizing, but he would forgive me in time. I slammed on the breaks and looped in the air. As the Skimmer began its free-fall toward the deck, I kicked the tail into a spin. The front tire hit the deck like a bag of bricks while the back tire skidded against the deck, absorbing some of the shock.

I kicked the Skimmer aside and distanced myself from the machine as quickly as possible. Any deckhands that weren't injured or occupied quickly came to my aid, securing the bike against the deck. They knew we would need it later. However, that painted a target on their skulls. In order to protect their saviors they risked—and lost—their lives.

I ran to hide myself in the depths of the ship, counting any remaining fishermen I could see. The number was depressing.

Before I could get very far I was cornered by none other than the Dark Ace himself. "I see you've come to aid my attack Miss Kai…"

"Do you _not_ see Aerrow? I think that would at least tip you off to the very opposite!"

His eyes scanned my skin, a disheartening frown crawled over his features. "What did they do to you? You used to be pretty…"

"Their damned sharp shooter turned me into a freak…" I could feel the power of his Firebolt call out, hearing its master's voice. It wanted to be released, but not in my favor. Sparks of lightning crawled up my arms, sizzling and arching in the rain.

"They're insane if they think he'll get away with harming my team mate…" Ace glanced over his shoulder, scratching at his neck.

"Unless you plan on putting up a fight, I suggest you get your pedophilic ass away from me."

His expression grew confused. "Me? A pedophile?" Ace laughed, chucking any unnecessary armor aside. He drew his weapon and sighed. "That insult is one I haven't heard in quite some time…"

"From Lora, I suppose? You know, your girlfriend paid me a little visit. She seems to hold one deep grudge for you, _comrade_."

His knuckles turned a blaring white as he gripped his weapon tighter. "Will be a shame to cut you in half with an insubordinate crystal… Your boyfriend up there stole my favorite…"

"I know," I spat back, the lightning's call growing louder. "Let me show you what that crystal of yours has done for me!" I charged toward him, my hands reaching or for any limb I could grab onto. My hand hit his wrist and I gripped onto it, daring never to let go. I surged the power of his Firebolt through his veins, but not enough to kill him.

I knew that wasn't what I was here to do, no matter how much I wanted to.

Ace cried out in pain, the lightning glowing through his veins. His translucent skin began to burn, the smell of fried skin itching at my nose.

I laughed as I released the weakened talon. "You can't win this fight, Ace. Call off your troops and I won't hurt you anymore."

"Kai!" Aerrow called out from behind me. "Look out!"

A Cyclonian-dressed woman launched herself off a platform behind me, taking a friendly stance beside me. "Need some help?"

As my hand shot out to immobilize her, I froze. She was here to help. She was Lora… I backed away, feeling the tension in the air rise much higher than the previous fight had caused.

This was a fight I didn't want to be anywhere near.

"Nice to see you again," Lora growled. "I see you haven't changed a bit…"

This honestly couldn't have been the first time she'd seen him in six years… I looked up, searching for Aerrow in a desperate attempt to flee. The boy was busy fending off other talons. I knew if Ace's comrades were busy with him, I could round up the crew and keep them safe.

"Here, kid," Lora handed me her weapon. "Take it. I don't need it to rip apart the Dark Ace…"

I refused, my markings glowing yet another odd color. "I'm fine."

Ace laughed. "Nice to see you again as well, my dear…" He faced his lost love with a grin, an underlying fear building behind his red eyes.

Without a second thought to aid Lora in her attempt at murder, I ran in search of the deckhands. There were six last time I counted. Once I'd rounded up the rest, there were four…

Once they were safely below deck, I locked the door behind me, welding the metal to the doorframe as best as I could. I could feel the heat in my hand; if I were anyone else, my skin would've melted of the bone.

I slid down against the door, sitting down. I cried uncontrollably, fearing the worst outcome of the fight. I was weak for breaking down at all the wrong times and I knew that. I needed to be emotionally stronger, and I knew the only way to do that was to let out a demon that I wasn't prepared to control.

I'd spent every day trying to hold back an uncontrollable rage and all it did was cause me to break down more and more. I was becoming weaker and weaker, and the only way to save myself and Aerrow would be to become the one thing I'd tried so hard to suppress. I would be as unforgiveable as the Dark Ace himself…

I closed my eyes and took in a sharp breath, saying a silent farewell to the Kai I once knew.

I opened my eyes and exhaled, watching as fire escaped from my lips. I felt as all signs of the rain evaporated from my skin, hypothermia now entirely impossible. I stood up and slowly exited the brig, walking up the stairs. I pushed open the overhead door, my fist splintering the wood. The door went flying back, slamming against the deck floor.

Just as quickly as the fire in my veins appeared, it vanished. The power of the frost crystal crawled through my veins, freezing the drops of rain that hit my skin. Every step I took froze my boots to the deck, requiring great strength to move forward. I rushed to Aerrow's side and warned him not to touch me—to get as far back as he possibly could.

As his fear for me overwhelmed him, he backed away. Aerrow knew I meant only the best for him, but he was beginning to question where the sudden strength came from.

I looked over the fight between Lora and Ace, seeing as it had taken to the upper levels of the ship. Lora clung to the netting and hung outward, egging Ace on.

Ace was losing this battle.

I held my hand out in front of me, my arms locked at my elbows. The talons that once overwhelmed Aerrow were backing away—they were now in over their heads. I was a force beyond their comprehension.

"Either jump off the ship or I won't hesitate to kill you."

One naïve talon stepped forward, holding his blade loosely in his fist. The instant he took his second step forward. I reached out and gripped his wrist, flipping him to the ground. I pinned his arm to his back and froze his body from the inside, out; in mere seconds he was dead.

The others watched with wide eyes, but another tried their luck. I pinned him against the deck in the same fashion, boiling his blood at inhuman temperatures. The smell of burnt skin filled the air once more. No one dared to step forward a third time—they knew they were outmatched.

The talons stepped back as I walked toward them, nearing the edge of the ship. "So what shall it be, boys?"

One glanced over his shoulder, looking at the clouds below the edge of the ship. He jumped seconds later. Another fell to his knees in surrender. The last talon joined in surrender, but I never gave a thought to showing them mercy.

I gripped a hand around each of their necks and smiled, draining the very force that kept them alive. I laughed quietly, feeling their energy surge through my veins.

_Evil_…, my conscious cried. _Their minds were evil… They're in your system now… I hope you're happy, Kai… You're slowly losing yourself to this power. Pull out of it!_

I stepped back quickly once their bodies were limp. I scanned the area around me, my eyes hitting Ace and Lora, then onto Aerrow's Skimmer, then finally, Aerrow.

The rain hit his skin, rolling down his cheeks.

The internal battle between the rage and the person I once was had quickly come to an end and I fell to my knees, questioning everything I had done. Why had the rage not felt remorse?

Why hadn't I stopped myself? Why _couldn't_ I have pulled out of it sooner? It didn't have to end how it did… I didn't have to kill them…

I reached out toward Aerrow, but he backed away, afraid. Aerrow defied Piper's orders when she told everyone not to touch me. He was afraid, but he didn't care. Now I had gone and done what he'd asked me to do originally and Aerrow was afraid.

I buried my face in my hands and cried. Aerrow knelt down beside me, cautiously resting an arm over my shoulders. "Kai… We need to go… Lora's fight isn't one we need to get involved in. We can work this out later…"

"No!" I screamed, shoving his arm off of me. "Leave me here… When Lora loses, I want Ace to kill me. I… I don't deserve to live after what I've done…"

Aerrow looked down, defeated by a secret he'd tried so hard to keep. "Kai… I don't know how much this will help… but back in the Cyclonian outpost, I had killed two talons in an attempt to find you. I can't tell you how long I'd spent punishing myself for it. I know what they're doing is wrong and they deserve the worst punishment for it… But I couldn't stand the thought of being a murderer…

"I never came to terms with it, so I had to learn to stop hurting myself over it… Kai… I'm here for you… There is nothing in this world that will change that." Aerrow pressed his cold lips to my cheek and smiled. "You have to get up so we can go… Neither of us can afford to sit in this weather for long."

Incoherent and malleable, I followed Aerrow's movements as he helped me to my feet. I leaned against him as we walked toward his Skimmer. The boy started up the engine and shouted toward Lora, "Don't stay out here too long!" He knew the fight was a mere fencing match. Neither of them intended to hurt one another. The battle would end when one had to leave. The lack of blood and injury backed up the observation.

I spoke quietly, whispering to Aerrow about the deckhands locked in the brig.

He shouted back to her, asking her to kindly set them free when all was said and done.

I clung to Aerrow as we flew away from the tragedy. My mind was blank, tears silently flowing from my eyes. I fell asleep against him, finding comfort in knowing he would be there, no matter what I did.


	40. Disappearing

_Disappearing_

_Kai_

"I hear you're slowing turning into a Cyclonian…"

"Go away… I'm not in the mood to deal with you."

"You think you'll get away with these little trips off the Condor? They'll find out you're leaving at some point." Ace picked at a scabbed-over gash on his face, courtesy of Lora.

I pulled his hand away by the wrist, staring him down. "You think you'll get away with _this? _Ace, the only reason you're obsessing over me is because you're trying to replace Lora."

He retracted his hand from my grasp. "Since when are you such good friends with her, anyway?" With no response, the talon laughed. "Listen, kid, I'm not going to let this go…"

"What?" I looked at him sharply. "Ace, I'm a Storm Hawk. You are _not_ on my team and I will _never _be on yours."

He watched me curiously, taking a seat beside me. "You, my dear… haven't seen the future…"

"And you have?"

Ace reached up, removing his beloved headgear. "Something like that," the man muttered, placing the glorified tiara on my head. I quickly removed it, daring to throw it into the clouds. Eager hands quickly retrieved it from my grasp. His brows tugged together as he looked at me, silently chastising my actions. He replaced the odd metal object to its rightful place and sighed, kicking his legs off the edge.

"Doubtful," I growled.

"I'd like to know who you're getting your facts from, kid. Love to give them a piece of my mind…" Reaching over, the talon stole more than his fair share of my fries, stuffing one into his mouth. "But don't worry, kiddo. Before long… you'll give up and see I'm right."

"My ass."

"Language…," he laughed.

"Fuck off," I retorted.

With a smile, Ace forced out another chuckle. "Defiant… This only proves my point, you know."

"Look… I'd love to stay and continue this little chat, but you're an asshole." I picked up my tray of fries and stood up, walking off.

"Whatever you say, Miss Fury," Ace laughed, saluting me.

I froze in my tracks, analyzing his words. "…What did you just call me?"

"You know, if you're really interested, you'll have to stay and continue this… little chat…"

After shaking off the initial shock and curiosity, I continued onward.

It didn't take long for him to follow after me, much to my dismay. "It's only been a week… and you're already letting this anger grow out of control… I could help you with that."

I took a sharp turn and faced him, my hand gripping the talon's neck. "Listen, _Ace_, I don't think this is any of your business, but if you would like me to _make_ it your problem, it would be my _pleasure_." The markings slowly crawled onto his skin, threatening to boil his blood in an instant.

"All I'm saying is you're slowly losing yourself ever since that battle on the ship… It may not be any of my business, but whether you like it or not, it's your problem and you're going to need help. Could, uh… you… let go?"

Ripping my hand from his neck, I stomped off, cursing loudly.

ooo

"So, uh…," Aerrow began, poking at his food, "you didn't find Lora, did you?"

I shook my head, watching my shoes as they kicked through the air.

Aerrow pushed a fry from one side of the tray to the other, sighing. "You didn't look for Lora, did you?"

"Listen, Storm Boy…," I looked at him. "I know what happened between you and Starling… And I heard what Lora said. Neither… neither of them want to join… But you can't take that personally! Starling is a loner… she works better that way. And Lora…"

Aerrow nodded. "She doesn't work well with others… I get it… Kai, that's not why I asked about her, I… I'm sincerely afraid of losing you to Cyclonia."

With a laugh, I rolled my eyes. "I shouldn't be surprised, hearing this from the king of worry… Aerrow, if you were losing me to Cyclonia, I would've only agreed to look for Lora—"

"In hopes of running into _Ace_?"

I sighed. "No. I would've only agreed… because… Aerrow, that's not the point. Do I look like the kind of person that could handle being a Talon? You saw what the academy did to me!"

"I also saw what you did to those Talons…"

"That was a _week_ ago."

"That was _murder_. Do… do you even remember any of it? I don't think I've ever seen anything like it from… from anyone in a Sky Knight squadron… Kai, you're a Storm Hawk. You're not supposed to be so brutal, you have to give someone a chance."

I ripped the tray of french-fries from his hands, standing up. "Oh? Kind of like you won't give ace a chance?"

"Kai, that's different."

"Different how?" I shouted back. "Those talons were Cyclonians! If I'm not allowed to show Ace any mercy, then they shouldn't be any different! If… if you wanted to show them some damn mercy… you brought the wrong person along for the job." I chucked the tray off the edge of the landing strip and trudged back toward the hangar door.

"If not Cyclonia… Kai, I'm going to lose you to the rage."

"Really?" I laughed. "Oh, sure, that's the biggest problem you have! Just call me Fury…," I chuckled. "Aerrow, look at yourself! Remember when we first met? That little voice in the back of your head that told you what to do? Don't listen to it! You're going to lose me to Cyclonia," I mocked. "Whoop-de-fucking-doo! What about me? What if I want this to happen?"

Aerrow stood up with a grunt. "Then get off my _fucking _ship."

I continued toward the hangar door. "Sure, Aerrow, I'd love to have another fight! As if this isn't the second fight I've had today! Awesome!" I threw my arms in the air, spinning around. "That reminds me…"

Aerrow's green eyes traced from the floor to my own.

I gripped onto the hangar door and smiled, "Happy birthday, you jerk." Just as I was going to slam it shut, the ship suddenly shook, throwing Aerrow off-guard.

"Would you two love-birds kindly get your mushy asses off my landing strip? I'd like to get the hell out of this talon-infested place," Stork muttered over the comm. system, only adding fuel to the fire.

With another short, wry laugh, I shut the hangar door. However, no matter how furious I was, I didn't have it in me to lock him out there.

Finn passed by, watching me curiously. "You all right?"

I flashed a cheesy grin, blinking a few times. "Peachy! Can… can I talk to you for a minute?"

Finn nodded, handing me what was in his hand. "Candy?" he asked quietly.

I shook my head. "I, uh… I had french-fries earlier…"

Finn chuckled. "Candy isn't filling…"

"Not in the mood, Finn."

"Ah… Where's—"

"Outside, and he's coming inside. We should get moving." I grabbed his wrist, pulling him through the ship.

Afraid, Finn began to pry his wrist from my grasp. "…You're not wearing those things…"

"They're a waste of time. I know the basics of how to control it, so why do I need those weird metal things?"

"You… you're still wearing them while you sleep, right? If you don't, you—"

I scoffed, "I could kill myself, I know." Pulling Finn into my room, I shut the door behind us. "Since when did you take Aerrow's place as Mr. Worry?"

Finn ran his hand through his hair, shaking his head. "We're all a bit worried about you, Kai… You're acting different. Did… something happen on the fishing boat we should know about…?"

I sat down on my bed. "Yes and no… but I'm not worried about that right now. Aerrow has this crazy idea that I'm slowly losing control."

Taking a few steps back, Finn slid down the wall, choosing a seat on the floor not too far away. "Like I said," he laughed. "You're acting different. None of us are all too sure how to act. With the Dark Ace showing up a little too often to pay you a visit… It's not too surprising where Aerrow could be basing his fears."

"Well aren't we Mr. Smart today," I laughed.

"See, that's what I'm talking about. Kai, you used to be such a nice person… Sure, you'd kick my ass if I stepped just a little too far over the line, but you were encouraging. Not defeating…"

I'd dragged Finn there to get some answers out of him, not to be confronted about something I had under control. I quickly decided it wasn't worth the waste of breath and stood up, walking toward the door. "Today's Aerrow's birthday…," I sighed. "I do feel kinda bad about yelling at him."

"Kinda? Kai, I could hear you in the kitchen."

"Okay… I really feel bad…" I tapped my chin. If we all wanted to survive on the ship together, I had to make nice with my comrades… Especially Aerrow. As distrusting as he was, Aerrow meant a lot to me and the feeling was beyond mutual. If I wanted it to work, I couldn't stay mad, I had to apologize. "Are we doing anything for his birthday?"

Finn shook his head. "We've never done more than a cake, and that's rare. Aerrow's never been one to celebrate anything more than a job well done. Piper did manage to make a nice cake… Maybe he'll want to celebrate with you…"

I leaned over, holding out my hand to help him up. "I'm not celebrating his birthday without my team. If I know Aerrow, as much as he hates celebrating, it would hurt more to know his team wasn't there. Now come on, I'm not leaving you in here. We're going to celebrate whether he likes it or not!"

With a smile, Finn gripped my hand and put minimal weight on me to stand up. "Now _that_ is the Kai I know." He kissed my cheek, throwing an arm over my shoulder. "So, shall we decorate, or is that a bit much?"

I ducked, peeling his arm off of me. "Just get the cake… I'll figure out the rest."

_Harmless_, I told myself. _Finn's just a huge flirt… he meant nothing by it…_

ooo

"Have you come to yell at me again?" Aerrow muttered, raking his fingers through his hair.

I reached out, taking his hand gently. "Buddy, that will never fix your hair. Trust me."

Smiling softly, Aerrow looked at me. "What do you want, Kai?"

"I'm sorry about earlier… Really. Lately I've just been having these uncontrollable outbursts… You can only guess when that started," I laughed. "But know I didn't mean to hurt your feelings… I just needed to vent and you were the unfortunate person that had to endure it…"

"It's not entirely a happy event, hearing you yell… It's kind of disheartening. Makes me think twice…"

"About what?" I asked. "You don't trust me anymore?"

"It's hard to trust someone that has the mentality of a talon… and I _know_ you aren't anything like them… I know that for a fact… But that doesn't change the fact that you're influenced by Cyclonia…"

I looked away. "This is just since the fishing boat incident, isn't it?"

"No… not just that. This is because every single crystal you've absorbed since _this_ incident," she gestured toward all of the markings, "every _last_ crystal has been Cyclonian."

"Not every crystal," I whined. "I stole a few cooking crystals from the kitchen and three fuel crystals from the boilers…"

Aerrow pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. "The point is, the majority have been Cyclonian… and God only knows what kind of influence the Dark Ace's Firebolt has had on you…"

I stood in front of him, looking up at him with big eyes. "I'm sorry… I never meant for any of this to happen, Aerrow… I want it to go back to normal but you and I both know that's something of an impossibility… So I'm trying to make the best of it, and make it all up to you. So… what do you say? Celebrate your birthday with me… On a high note! We must be happy."

Aerrow looked away, laughing. "That face… Don't look at me like that; you know I can't say no."

"Please?" I pushed, wrapping my arms around him. "Please, please, please?"

"Only if I can have my present now…"

My eyes went wide. "P-present?" I… didn't even think to get anything.

Aerrow lifted my chin up to match my gaze to his own. "Well… not entirely a present… It's better than anything I could ask for."

Though I'm sure I was missing the point, knowing it was obvious, I still asked, "What…?"

Aerrow flashed a smile, leaning down to kiss me. "Best birthday ever," he breathed.

"Even after I yelled at you?"

"You're still here, and that's all that matters…"


	41. Surprise, Surprise

Surprise, Surprise

_Kai_

"So, what do you think about being a Storm Hawk?"

I shrugged. "Life… hasn't really changed that much…"

Lora watched me, concerned. "You can't lie to me, Kai. Plus… when you lie, the markings below your eye glow… You just can't lie to me," she laughed.

I shook my head, laughing. "It's been stressful… I can't tell you how many nights I've fallen asleep wishing to be back home."

"Even your home? You'd be alone…"

"Which is less stressful? Waking up alone, or living day-to-day where my life as I know it is constantly threatened to change at the drop of a pin?"

"So, it's been bad…?"

I looked away, chucking another drained crystal off the edge. "You know, they've been asking about you for a few weeks, now."

"Am I supposed to listen?" Lora smiled. "They can't keep me locked up in that damned purple room… Have they tried asking Starling again? She could do with a few years of solitary confinement…"

"Oh, ha, ha. I live on this ship, too, you know…"

She rested her hand on my knee for a moment, flashing another brilliant smile. "I'm not insulting your choices, don't get me wrong… It's just not something I would choose for myself."

"Oh? What would you rather, then, Miss Know-It-All?"

"Bounty Hunting… Risky, yes, but you're not confined by any laws… I personally couldn't handle the pressure… but if given the opportunity at a younger age, I would've jumped in."

"Forewarning for myself, then?"

She nodded. "Think about it? It's not as _fancy_ as the title of "Storm Hawk," but wouldn't you rather have fun than be famous?"

"Fame can arise in surprising places…" I handed her a crystal, and watched her dispose of the crystal in an interesting way.

"Watch," she spoke slyly, enclosing the crystal in her hands. Rolling her hands over in a twisting fashion, she then, slowly, reopened her hands. The crystal was missing.

"How…?"

"Magic," she laughed. "Simply magic." In another moment, she reached over and grabbed the missing crystal, hidden neatly behind her leg, out of my view. Lora swiftly—and visibly—chucked it over the edge. We watched it disappear.

"Kai!" Finn shouted. "Aerrow's looking for you. Why are you still out here, anyway?" The blond stepped forward, cautiously walking out onto the edge. "You know, somehow I'm not surprised," he laughed. "Are you two conspiring to murder?"

I forcefully yet playfully punched his arm, smiling. "We've just been chatting…"

"You two have been spending quite some time together…"

Lora, looking confused, began to speak. One look at me, however, changed her mind.

I decided against telling him where, and whom, I've been spending my time with. Although I'm hypocritical for choosing to share the same air with the Talon, he had an alluring air about him. I tried to stay away… Curiosity kept me coming back. I dared to learn more about this so-called future of mine he claimed to know about… He was stringing me along, and through his masquerade, I knew that I would never learn the information I yearned for.

And yet he smiled and laughed with me, betrayed his own team… As did I… I decided I would regret it someday and go against my instincts. I told myself I would find out at all costs…

"Maybe I rather spend time with someone who tells the truth than a pack of bipolar liars?" I smiled.

"Come on, Kai… You know you love us."

"With an attitude like that, how could I not? Hell, your eyes are overkill, Blondie." I leaned against him, feeling quite a bit exhausted.

He smiled, glancing at the box of drained crystals. "What are those for?"

"We're getting rid of them. Would you like to play a game, Finn?" Lora asked.

"Sure!"

"All right. You can play a drained crystal, and I'll throw your blond ass off of the landing strip!" She laughed, proud of the joke.

Finn quickly grabbed onto me. "You'll never take me alive! Not without Kai!"

Silence took over as something caught Lora's eye. She smiled.

Quiet tapping behind Finn and I quickly told the blond to release me, and I looked over my shoulder. "Aer…row… Hi…," I dragged out, smiling nervously.

"What does this have to do with crystals?"

"Kai is a walking crystal! I'm trying to throw her off of the landing strip!" Finn spoke defensively.

"Smooth save, you blond idiot," Lora laughed.

I rubbed the corner of my eye, watching Aerrow closely. "What's up, Storm Boy?"

"Lora," he addressed the Interceptor, ignoring my query. "Are you here to stay for a while, or are you going to leave again?"

Lora rose to her feet. "With a greeting like that, I might as well leave now!"

He rolled his eyes. "It's nice to see you again, Lora."

"I must say though, I was here to check on Kai. She said she was having a bit of trouble when we last met. I just wanted to make sure she was all right."

"So you don't care about us?" Finn whined.

Lora grasped his shoulder. "Shut up, Finn. I'll push you over the edge."

Aerrow laughed. "We're stopping by a Sky Harbor, if you'd like us to drop you off."

She shrugged, welcoming the offer. "Kai… How's V2 doing?"

I looked down. "He's… not doing so well, Lora…"

She sighed. "It was bound to happen. I took him down; he was meant to stay down."

"Kai!" Piper shouted. Half the team had now followed me outside.

I looked up toward Aerrow, my gaze narrowed from the blinding light. I brushed my bangs from my eyes as I spoke, "Why were you looking for me?"

"Piper… She, uh…"

"Kai! I have a present for you!" she giggled, running across the strip without reserve.

I sighed.

"Sounds interesting," Finn poked, nudging my side.

"Don't tempt me, Sharp-Shooter," I groaned, threatening to push him off the edge.

He laughed, picking at stray strings hanging from his uniform.

"Kai… Kai, here…"

"Ingenious!" I smiled, taking an odd crystal from her grasp. "It's an ordinary crystal!" My amazement dropped and I spoke, unimpressed, "What is it?"

"C-can you absorb it?"

That caught _everyone's_ attention.

I gripped tightly on the crystal, and in the blink of an eye, it vaporized into mere dust.

Lora clapped. "I will _never_ get tired of that! This girl is a freak! I like her." She grasped my hand, pulling me to my feet.

Aerrow cleared his throat, looking away.

"Whoa, dude… Careful. Her hands are lethal weapons."

"I have it under control, I swear."

Piper was quick to notice the metal gloves were missing. "Where are they?" she asked angrily.

"Piper, relax. I just woke up, I… I haven't put them on…," I lied.

She shook her head. "Come with me…," she demanded, reaching out. Her fingers curled in the air, remembering how dangerous it was to hold my hand. "I have… a surprise for you."

"What, so that crystal was just lunch?" I asked, laughing. I rubbed my stomach and belched, stepping forward. "Good lunch, though… Thanks."

Finn laughed.

"Come with me," I whispered to the three, following swiftly after the anxious Crystal expert.

As we maneuvered around the ship, climbing up and down ladders, we made it to her lab with expert timing. Piper wheeled over a prop, explaining its purpose. "This is supposed to concentrate Crystal energy, much like yourself, Kai."

"Can you turn it off?" I interrupted.

"….What?"

"Can you… turn it… off?"

"I… I think so…" She looked the device over, walking around it at least twice.

"If we are alike, and you can turn that off, why can't you fix me?"

Lora and Aerrow lurched forward in anticipation—they immediately prepared to restrain me.

"Kai…," Aerrow cooed, trying to soothe the rising anger. I could see my hands begin to light up—I had to calm down.

"Not now, kid," Lora growled.

Piper continued hesitantly, "If you, um… That crystal, Kai… That crystal… This machine creates concentrated crystal energy out of any energy given. Although, unlike you, Kai… In a technical realm, this machine is the female counterpart of concentrated energy, and Kai is the male. Kai gives the energy in a raw form and the machine receives it and, theoretically, materializes it."

"Much like Cyclonian-manufactured crystals," Aerrow offered up, silencing Finn's stifled laughter.

"Just… in a much safer way… I don't even know if this thing works… You remember how I told you about V2's memory, and how the crystal that contained his entirety was so complex?" When I agreed, she continued, "You absorbed everything that made up V2."

Lora's grip on my shoulder tightened. If her love for the robot wasn't evident before, it had become entirely obvious now. "Do you still have his shell?" she asked.

Piper shook her head. "V2 is a very odd contraption—"

"Person!" Lora corrected angrily.

"V2… is a very odd… person…" Piper rested her palm against her lab desk, leaning her weight onto it. "When his heart, per se, was removed, the shell… his exterior… Lora, I—," she stopped, trying to think of a better way to explain it. "Lora, the damn thing disappeared." Piper couldn't help but laugh, however Lora's hard and unforgiving exterior silenced her in moments.

"Is he all right?"

With a smile, Piper looked to me. "That's up to Kai… You see, this thing is supposed to concentrate crystal energy. If Kai projects the energy from V2's crystal… It's a bit of an untested theory, and I can't guarantee it's going to work…"

"Do it," Lora demanded.

Piper looked toward the ground.

"How does it work?" I asked, trying to lighten the evident tension.

"Concentrate every ounce of crystal energy you can manage into this box." Piper stuck her hand into a 5-sided box, the missing wall facing me. Lightning-like streams of energy surrounded her skin, clinging to any possible energy within her system. She removed her hand with a smile. "It's safe, I swear."

"That's not what you keep saying about me…"

Piper rolled her eyes. "For one moment, can we please focus on this and not your selfish need to _cure_ this 'problem'?"

I nodded, looking off to the side. In reality, she was right. I needed to silence my qualms, as they had only risen out of vain anger.

Lora pushed me forward, and I stumbled. "Stop fidgeting and do it already!"

I sighed. "So, what? You want me to stand here like a dumbass, focusing some 'theoretically' impossible energy into a 'theoretical' box that 'theoretically' may not do anything?"

Lora smacked the back of my head. "Shut up and do it."

I sighed and took a stance. I'd never focused energy into thin-air, I always had a physical target to wrap my hands around… A failed attempt could call the end to Lora's old friend, assuming it was a one-shot deal.

In order to compensate for the lack of a physical target, I closed my eyes and envisioned wrapping my hands around someone's neck. Although violent, it was surprisingly the very first thing that popped into my mind. I resented that very fact.

I projected all of the energy I could muster into the invisible man, noting that the majority of the energy would be the last crystal I absorbed; Piper anticipated and hoped for just that.

When I opened my eyes, I saw Lora standing before me, in marvel of something before her. I leaned one direction, then another, in hopes of catching a glimpse. Piper—ecstatic—couldn't help but dance with word of the success. "I can't believe it worked!"

I rushed toward Piper, maneuvering around Lora. "You had me do that for nothing?"

She cringed. "For _possibly_ nothing, but it worked, so don't complain!"

"What was the point of this anyway?"

We all stood in silence, waiting for an answer.

"Ask him yourself…"

Lora turned around, cradling an odd, almost ghostly ball of energy in her hands.

"Hello…," the object spoke. "Who… are you?"

I stuttered as I spoke, trying to utter the old machine's name. Piper called out, signaling me to stop. "It's… best not to mention anything pertaining to his old… memory…"

"So… I was right…"

Lora reached out, nudging the odd manifested energy into the air. He floated there, wafting through the slight draft. "Whoa…," he laughed.

"You'll get the hang of it," Piper chimed.

Grasping what Piper had said, Aerrow spoke up. "What should we name him?"

"I… don't know if I have a name…," the little guy spoke up.

"Well, what do you want to be called?"

He floated through the air, flying around her lab. Catching his own reflection, he smiled. "….Torch…"

"Fitting," Lora spoke sarcastically. "You were so lively before…"

I shook my head. "Maybe he'll be different now? He was programmed as a service robot… Maybe we can re-teach him to be human?"

"He'll never be human…," Lora spoke with distain.

I understood that she loved V2—or rather, Torch—but it was as if, in a moment, she'd turned her back on her long-lost friend. _That_ I didn't understand.

"Welcome to the team, Torch," I announced.

"Team…?"

"You are now officially part of the Storm Hawks," Aerrow explained.

"I… suppose I'll have to take your word for it," Torch laughed. "When you say team, is this… everyone?"

Finn shook his head. "Lora isn't part of the team, and we're missing a few people."

"Where's Radarr…?"Aerrow asked, trailing off. He looked around the room before mindlessly wandering away.

"I… assume I've bored you all enough for one day. You can leave, but I'll need you," she grasped my shoulder, "and you, to stay here."

Finn shot Lora and I a half-hearted salute and a smile, walking out of the room.

"So…," Piper dragged out, dusting off her hands. "In short, Torch is attached to you. He can go wherever he wants, but he's… technically with you. Always."

"Like a leash?" Torch asked eagerly.

She shrugged. "Technically…"

"I assume I can't leave with the little buggar," Lora interjected.

Piper shook her head. "If… there was any way to transfer his 'soul' to you, safely, I would do it without a second thought. I'm sorry, Lora, I truly am…"

Lora looked away, her eyes focused on something more interesting.

"So I have to deal with this annoying thing on a daily basis?"

"He'll grow on you, Kai. Give him a chance…"

I watched Torch for a moment, sighing. I suppose life has changed so much recently… One more addition wouldn't be so bad.

ooo

"You sure you don't want to come with me, Storm Hawk?"

"You sure you don't want to stay?" I asked in return with a laugh.

She laughed, shaking her head. "Don't count on it, Kai. Hey… If you change your mind…" She reached into her satchel, pulling out a card. "You can find me here. Send a bird my way sometime… I live at that bunker."

I nodded, taking the address gratefully.

"If you ever need something…"

I nodded once more, watching her as she waved, stepping lightly and quickly along the dock. Lora quickly disappeared into the mechanics hangar.

I walked slowly along the strip, back into the ship, contemplating her offer. I was needed on the ship, yet I was slowly being pushed away.

How long had it been since someone hugged me, or held my hand? Even Aerrow, the only one that dared to do so, hadn't been given that chance. If it wasn't one thing, it was another; I had gone off at him so many times, our one-sided fights had prevented a relationship from blooming.

I sighed, digging my hands into my pockets.

"Are you all right, Miss Kai?"

"Just Kai," I told Torch. "None of that formal bull…"

"Kai… Just Kai…" Torch laughed. "I like the sound of that.


	42. Finale

_Welcome to the finale._

Finale

_Kai_

Three weeks I spent roaming the ship, en route to our next mission point, trying to keep busy. Three weeks I spent distancing myself from the ghostly Torch. Three weeks I spent trying to convince myself everything was okay. Three weeks I spent failing those very tasks…

On the last day of the third week, I found myself begging for attention from anyone. In the course of those three weeks, Aerrow had hugged me a total of four times. I never wanted to let go… The incident Finn had inadvertently caused created a domino effect. In return for the genetic mutation—alongside a very powerful advantage in battle—I'd been cast aside. Everyone was so scared to be near me—whether due to verbal rampages, or physical—I'd been reduced back to the on-board mechanic. I was only there to fix the rides… Nothing more…

That night I'd radioed Lora, and Torch was overly-eager, anxious to say hello. I told her how it's been since she left last. And, as usual, Lora made me another offer. She said it would be easy to separate me from the Storm Hawks with little intrusion.

I declined.

When she insisted, I turned off the radio, leaving Torch in the comm. room alone.

I sat in the middle of the helm in silence beside Stork. Although he'd tried to make conversation—surprisingly—I pretended that I didn't hear him. Stork understood… As a Merb, a solitary lifestyle was not uncommon. Although he could share in my pain, he couldn't offer a solution. Strangely enough, that fact seemed to pain him.

I hugged my knees to my chest, listening to Torch hum a song he'd picked up more than a week ago.

"Could you _please_ find a new song to sing? I know those words inside and out now, thank you!"

Torch frowned. "I'm sorry, Kai… I…"

"No, I'm sorry."

"If I may make a suggestion…," Stork spoke up, flicking a few switches before sitting beside me. The _one_ person that should be the most afraid… He took a very neutral approach.

I looked at him as he flicked his hair to the side, his ear twitching slightly. He kept his eyes on the helm windows. "Take by _force_ what you cannot get naturally. Sometimes the best way isn't the _only_ way…"

I looked down.

"Who is the most easily manipulated on this ship?" Without a moment to respond, he answered his own question. "Finn. Take what you do not have…"

Those words did not only help in this situation, but they became my life philosophy. _Take by _force_ what you do not have… _"Finn isn't the best person to look to for advice."

"Advice?" Stork laughed with a distasteful disposition. "You're not listening, are you?"

"No, Stork… Not really…"

He laughed wryly, standing up. "If you forget, I'll gladly tell you again…"

I stood up as well, dragging Torch behind me as I left the helm. "Finn…"

"Yeah!" Finn called out, leaning out of the bathroom doorway.

I took a good look at him, wondering if this was really what I was willing to stoop to. It wasn't as if Finn would deny anything I asked of him. I knew what Finn thought about me… It was much more obvious than he tried to make it seem…

"Finn, I…"

"You all right, Kai?"

I shook my head. "I… need to talk to someone…"

"Someone? No…" He stepped out of the bathroom, pulling me along with him. Torch followed closely behind.

"Torch, go… find Aerrow. Tell him we need more supplies for next week, and if we don't stop now, Junko is going to eat the rest of what we have."

Torch knew that deceiving tone in my voice. He accepted it, but I knew he had trouble swallowing the situation. Torch knew the amount of emotional agony I was in, but my resort was a less than favorable one.

And definitely not the smartest.

Even knowing the consequences of my actions, I continued on with my poorly thought-out plan.

I was roughly shoved into Finn's room. He quickly shut the door behind us. Pressing himself up against the door like he'd done something horrible, he eyed me psychotically. "Talk."

I sat down on his bed and immediately broke down. It was the first time I'd shown weakness since the fishing boat incident. When I looked at Finn with tear-filled eyes, I could see him growing weak as well. As a man that cared deeply for me, I knew that if he saw me in pain, whatever I had to say… Finn would see it my way.

I just wanted someone to agree and nod, and hold me while I cried. If I went to Aerrow, he would debate _everything_. Finn wasn't as logical, and I knew he took facts by their face-value. If I said something was wrong he would agree.

And, of course, as he sat down beside me, his first words defied and tore apart my elementary plan. "Why would you come to me?"

I leaned against his shoulder, continuing to quietly cry while I thought of a good enough excuse. "Aerrow wouldn't understand… The king of worry and the voice of reason would pick apart everything I said. I… don't want a lecture… I just want someone to listen…"

He laughed, speaking compassionately, "You're still in the wrong room, Kai…"

I sat upright, pushing him to the side. "Finn!"

"…All right, all right… What's bothering you?" Although still puzzled as to why I'd even come to him, he knew I wasn't going to change my mind. I suppose Finn was always seen as incompetent… _Maybe Finn is in the same boat…?_ I questioned silently, thinking Finn might've just grown accustomed to the lack of attention he—rightfully—thought he deserved.

"I… Finn… Do you know how many times I've been hugged this month?"

Finn reached over, pulling a stray sucker off his desk. He peeled off the wrapper as he answered, "It's not like I stalk you and Aerrow." After a moment of silence, as Finn contemplated the strange taste of the lollipop, he spoke up once more, "… Four?"

I pushed Finn over once more.

"I was kidding!"

"You're right… sadly…"

His brilliant eyes took on a sad demeanor. "You're kidding…"

"I'm a physical person, Finn." I watched him closely with my words, and I knew what he was thinking. "My father was never much of a hugger, or anything… but everyone that I helped around Atmosia… I always got hugs, and kisses, and…"

"I get it, you're totally missing it."

I nodded.

He twirled the sucker between his thumb and forefinger, watching it closely.

"Ever since I became this freak monster thing… Everyone has been afraid to touch me. They don't realize it until they reach out… then they take it back … Are you listening?"

"I told you, you were in the wrong room!"

I leaned back against his bed, examining his ceiling. Four pencils were jammed into the metal above me. "… What the hell?"

He laughed, laying down with me. "Practice…"

"You shot those up there?"

"Without a crossbow…"

"Egomaniac…" I sniffed in, trying to clear my stuffy sinuses.

Finn rolled onto his side, looking at me with curious eyes. "Why… did you really come in here, Kai…?"

I sighed, keeping my eyes in the ceiling. "I guess I just needed to talk."

"Don't bullshit with me, Kai," he said frankly with a smile. "Just tell me what you want."

I rolled over to match his gaze, but sat up before I became mesmerized.

Finn sat up as well. I could feel his gaze stick to my skin, no matter where I looked. "Kai," he laughed. When I didn't respond, I could feel his gaze lower and trail around the room.

I sighed, looking down. I began to speak, turning to look at him as I spoke. However, Finn had other ideas. I didn't even have enough time to form an entire word before Finn kissed me, wrapping his hand around the side of my face.

At first, my eyes widened. I wanted nothing but to leave—to get out of a potentially dangerous situation. Whether I was worried about Aerrow, or worried about endangering Finn, I wasn't sure. I knew, however, that if I didn't get up and leave, someone was going to be in trouble.

But I closed my eyes… a part of me didn't want to leave. I wanted to stay. I had been ignored for so long, this change in my routine was overwhelming. I wasn't about to leave when I finally had what I wanted, regardless of who it's from.

But the instant Finn moved, wrapping his arms around me, I opened my eyes to reality.

"Aerrow is going to kill you."

ooo

I stepped out onto the dry land, wondering why exactly we'd returned to such a barren land.

"Bizarre," Finn spoke, watching me with a smile. I knew the instant I'd left his room that the consequences I originally thought were multiplied by ten in reality—Finn thought I was after him… I didn't have the heart to tell him how selfish I was, nor did I to confess to Aerrow. They were both blind, and I was a coward.

I landed with a thud into the sand.

"Bazaar, actually," Aerrow corrected his friend.

"Bizarre bazaar!" Torch laughed. "What are we getting here?"

"Kai needs more—"

"Kai needs more noms!" I giggled, interrupting Aerrow.

Aerrow laughed. "My, aren't we in a good mood today. Such a turn-around from your recent disposure…"

"You're welcome," Finn smiled, stepping out beyond the ship.

"Shut up, Finn," I laughed, throwing sand at him playfully.

Aerrow shook his head, pulling Piper out of the ship. Junko followed closely behind, along with Stork and Radarr. This was one of the only times I'd ever seen the entire team together—beyond the four walls of our beloved Condor, that is.

"So, I thought we might split off into groups. Finn, Junko, if you two could get more ammunition supplies…"

"Gotcha," Finn saluted his leader.

"And if you and Stork could get supplies for the ship," he looked toward Piper. "Food, mechanical items, you name it. You've got a list."

"Sure do!" she smiled.

"Kai and I will go crystal rummaging, if no one minds."

Radarr jeered, growling and grumbling to himself.

"Pick a group, buddy…," he laughed.

Radarr eagerly climbed up onto Piper's shoulder.

"If you don't mind, I'm quite a bit interested in the ship… Maybe I could learn a bit more about it?" Torch questioned our Crystal expert.

Piper nodded. "Absolutely. Stork is the best person for that."

"We… haven't been properly introduced. My name is Torch."

"I remember you, you're that annoying thing flying around my ship. Remind me again why he's still here? He looks potentially dangerous…"

Aerrow smiled, shielding his eyes from the sun. "He's perfectly safe, right Piper?"

"Depends on your view of safe…," I laughed. "He can affect your sanity. He asks way too many questions. Can you handle it, Merb?"

He rolled his eyes. "Don't think I won't get you back for this, freak."

I saluted our helmsman, taking Aerrow's arm as he led me off to seemingly nowhere.

Aerrow began to hum a quiet tune, leading us to the nearby tents. However, though my giddy exterior, he felt I was holding back. "What's on your mind?"

"… A question I rather not ask…"

His hand eagerly searched for mine. This was a rare chance for him—I wasn't argumentative, and he wanted every second to last. "Ask, Kai… It's not good to hold things in."

"…What are the chances of running into Dark Ace here?"

He smiled. "First time I've heard you call him that. Must be a good sign…"

"I'm serious, Aerrow… I don't want to run into him. He's caused enough trauma."

"Then why do you insist on meeting him? So contradictory…"

"See, this is why I didn't talk to you about it…," I muttered, mainly to myself.

He shook his head. "Can we not do this today?" he asked. "You're finally in a good mood. I want to enjoy this."

I began laughing in an uncontrollable fit—so uncontrollable, in fact, that I had to sit down. Aerrow loomed over me, a bright smile on his face. "I rather not ask; I'm just happy you're laughing. Here…" Aerrow knelt down, his hands angled out behind him. "Piggy-back. You can't walk like this."

I bit my lip, trying desperately to stop laughing. I knew I didn't have an excuse, though. Aerrow was kindly trying to make the best of an awkward situation and I _needed_ to go along with it.

I climbed onto his back and we continued toward the tents. Aer kept the mood light with a small tune, and only then did I notice his ability to sing.

I followed along, singing the lyrics when he paused to remember. We laughed and made fools of ourselves, but there was a silver lining—a potentially dangerous situation had been patched, and everything was okay.

For now…

He let me off once we'd made it to the first tent, and I began to scour the grounds, examining every little detail.

I picked up crystals of all sizes and shapes, but none seemed interesting enough. Aerrow was more interested in the tent directly behind me. "Hey Aer," I called, holding an odd crystal in my hand. "What's this?"

He turned around, a rather suspicious look on his face. "Um…"

"If you don't know what you're doing, keep your clam-y human hands off of my merchandise!" the merchant shouted at me, ripping the crystal from my hands. Aerrow was by my side in a split second.

"What do you think you're doing?" Aerrow retorted, wrapping an arm around me.

"That freak should keep her hands to herself!"

"…Freak…?" I growled, clenching my teeth.

"Do you know who you're dealing with?"

"You're that Storm Hawk kid, yeah. Now tell your mutant girlfriend to keep her hands off of something when she has no idea what she's dealing with!"

I put Aerrow's hand into a death grip. "You think I don't know what I'm dealing with…?"

"Kai, don't. He doesn't understand. It's not grounds for anything violent… Calm down."

"Yeah, freak. Calm down!" the sleazy merchant chuckled.

My eye twitched. I didn't even have to think—I knew the instant his face changed from confident to fearful that I was going to lose control. "You _honestly_ think I don't know what I'm dealing with?" I ripped the crystal back from his hands, crushing it in my own. The crystal was gone—it vanished, not even dust was left behind.

"You wanna know why you should never burn bridges despite the need to cross them?"

The man began to stutter, backing up.

I climbed over the table, meeting him face-to-face. Aerrow called out after me, his words meaningless beneath my rampage. He climbed over the table after me in an attempt to stop me—however, he knew if he touched me in the least, he could be severely hurt.

How can you stop someone when you can't physically stop them, and your words bear no meaning?

You can't.

"I am a walking _time bomb, _and you pressed the wrong button, you stupid Raptor. Do you understand the severity of your situation? DO YOU?"

His slithery tongue escaped his mouth for a mere millisecond and I grasped onto it, threatening to rip it from his jaws. "I want to walk into a store knowing I will be served with a smile. I deserve that much."

The man tried to speak, but his words were greatly hindered and entirely intelligible.

I released his tongue, pushing my way past Aerrow to examine his inventory. "I want these."

"…Miss…"

"I want them. All of them."

"Kai, you can't do that," Aerrow advised.

"Shut up, Storm Boy!" I shouted. "I deserve something out of this!"

He gripped my arm, disregarding the dangers. "You can't do this, Kai."

"WHY? You can't stop me."

"I can and I will."

The merchant laughed nervously. A glare sent his way shut him up in a moment's time.

Aerrow looked away, thinking. He was desperate for an excuse, anything that would get me to listen. "You can't do this…"

"Why the hell not?"

"Because I love you, Kai… I can't stand to see you ruin your life of a comment from someone that means nothing."

I blinked. "No, you don't. You can't love me. I'm just a freak."

The merchant laughed again. I threatened to charge toward him and the Raptor fainted. I sent the unconscious man a wry laugh.

"You don't understand… I loved you before… I've always loved you, Kai…"

I wouldn't accept his answer. It couldn't be true! I was a monster. I was raiding an innocent man's shop—he was guilty of nothing more than ignorance and I threatened to murder him and steal everything that made him worth something.

It was wrong, and I couldn't stop myself.

"You couldn't love me! I… I'm a horrible person… Do you not see what I've done? I've hurt an innocent man, I've killed Talons mercilessly and _laughed_… I… I betrayed your trust! I… Finn…"

His brows tugged together angrily.

"I went to Finn instead of you… and we…" My knees buckled under me and I collapsed to the ground. My face buried in my hands. "You can't love me… Not after everything that I've done…"

"You… what?" he demanded. "Finn…"

I looked up, my eyes trailing over the unconscious Raptor before looking for Aerrow. He was gone, jumping back over the tables before I could even call out his name. I struggled to stand. I felt the point was moot to run after him—the man ran faster in a heightened state of anger than I could ever hope to.

I stumbled over to the mining carts, rummaging through the crystals. I found a particularly transparent crystal, noting a roaring fire in the center. It felt my energy, and the orange flames gravitated towards the edge, greeting me. I looked around his hut, finding a guide chart. Every crystal he had with him was listed just beyond the carts, and explanations for each.

"You little shit… You have no idea what you're doing, either…" I gripped onto the crystal, looking around.

I decided it was better to try and run after him than let the Storm Hawk go down for murdering his own comrade. The least I could do is get there and stop him after a broken bone or two…

I stuffed the crystal into my satchel and ran at top speed, hurdling over the tables as Aerrow had. I made it to Finn's burial site in record time. Aerrow had Finn pinned to the ground, his blade at his neck.

Out of breath, I doubled over in my tracks and screamed, "AERROW!"

The boy didn't even bother to look. Taking his eyes off his target could be fatal for either one of them.

Finn glanced toward me for only a moment, an apologetic smile sent in my direction.

"When… you said you loved me…," I laughed. "I never thought you meant this much."

"You're pretty blind," he growled.

As Finn tried to stand up and peel Aerrow's blade from his neck, Aerrow shoved him back down, a loud groan erupting from the Sharp Shooter.

I sighed. "Aerrow, could you at least let me explain?"

"I don't need to know details. You were with Finn. Whatever happened is between you two. However, the bastard is going to pay for his actions…"

"Oh come on, dude, it was only a kiss!" Finn whined. "It's not like I haven't kissed her before!"

I fell back. Finn had basically sealed in his fate—there wasn't much I could do to protect him now.

Aerrow began shouting at Finn, louder than anyone anticipated. He'd attracted quite an audience, and Finn, the help of his comrades.

"What'd Finn do now?" Piper asked.

"I was ambushed, I swear," I laughed, though it was quite inappropriate.

Stork sat down on a nearby chair. "He's pretty much doomed. Not much we can do, now…"

Junko tried to stifle back a laugh. "Finn's in serious trouble, isn't he?"

"He's finally done it," Piper sighed. "Are you going to stop Aerrow?" she asked me.

I shrugged. "I'm… not really sure if I should… I know this was all partially my fault… but I came clean…"

"It was still your fault!" she interjected. "You still played a part in this! You owe Finn that much."

"How did I go from owing Aerrow to owing Finn?" I stood up, contemplating my options. Finn was already bleeding bad enough—a broken nose, a few broken fingers, at the very least… I wanted to wait a moment longer, I wanted to see what else Aerrow would do, but I didn't have that kind of time. He was inches from death.

I gripped Aerrow's shoulder, my eyes closed. I apologized as I sent a surge of power through his veins, knocking the Storm Hawk out. He fell back silently, his blade shutting down. Finn was beyond grateful.

"Kai… I'm so sorry… I didn't think he'd take it this far…"

I looked away, trying not to cry.

I never knew that I would base my decision on this very incident… I never imagined I would have to. I knew what I had to do, now. "Don't apologize to me, Blondie." I stepped back, dragging Stork with me. "Remember when you said you'd explain if I forgot?" I asked amidst my tears. "You owe me…"

ooo

Once everyone had piled back onto the Condor, Stork took off. We were alone in the helm, and I had a chance to get my thoughts out, unbiased and uncontested.

"If you're going to do it," he sighed, "you might as well do it while Aerrow is still down for the count. Less painful."

I looked down. "How do you think the others will take it."

He smiled mischievously. "To be honest, Piper was never your biggest fan."

"Heh… Story of my life…"

He shook his head. "I suggest you don't tell anyone. Just go…"

"I have to tell Torch… Will you tell everyone else once I'm gone?"

"Hell no," he laughed, flicking a few more switches above his head.

I laughed. "That's just like you, Stork… It really is. You've been the most mature about this."

"I'm the least bias… Do you think it bothers me that you're leaving?"

"You didn't like it when I came on-board. I'm sure you're ecstatic."

"Not entirely. I'm not emotionally involved with you. I don't hate you, and I don't love you. You leave and it will have absolutely no impact on me."

I flashed a crooked smile, standing on my toes to kiss his cheek. "Thanks for everything…"

As I began to turn around, I noticed an odd expression upon his face as he reached for his cheek—a smile. I'd never seen one from the Merb, never a meaningful one…

I stepped out of the helm, and Torch wasn't too far behind me. "You're leaving, aren't you?"

"You got everything you need? You're coming with me."

"I can't leave them!" he whined. "They're… my family…"

"I'm all you need, Torch. If I leave, you die."

His demeanor changed—rather than want, his priority became need. "I… understand."

I nodded. "Let's go."

"Right… Kai…"

I grabbed my bag and dusted off my old Switchblade, saying hello for once in a very long time. "It's been a while, old friend… Looks like we'll be having a lot more time together…" I pulled Lora's address from my pocket and sighed.

"See you around, Storm Boy…"


End file.
